Give your recommender something useful to work with

For a complete briefing packet and free editable worksheet, use the reference preparation session. The guide below focuses on making the initial request clear.

Before asking someone for a recommendation, check what the employer actually wants. A reference contact, an uploaded letter and an employer-issued reference questionnaire are different tasks. Your recommender needs the right instructions, not just a request for “a reference.”

For example, UCLA Health's new-graduate application FAQ, reviewed October 5, 2026, describes an applicant-upload process for two recommendation letters. That is one employer's process, not a rule for every nursing application. Always check the current instructions for your target role. UCLA new-graduate application FAQ

Choose someone who can describe the relevant work

Follow any employer restrictions on who may provide the recommendation. Within those instructions, consider what each possible recommender actually observed. A person with an impressive title who barely knows your work may have less specific information than an instructor or supervisor who saw you respond to feedback over time.

Make a private note of the relationship, when you worked together and what the person could accurately discuss. Do not assume a former supervisor remembers every project. Do not send patient information or clinical records to help them remember you.

Make the first request easy to answer

The initial message should identify the application, explain why you are asking this person, state the deadline and leave room for them to decline. Here is an original fictional example:

Dear Professor Morgan,

I am preparing an application for a new-graduate nursing role at [employer]. You supervised my [placement or course] during [dates], including the assignment where I revised my presentation after your feedback. Would you be comfortable providing a recommendation based on the work you observed?

The employer requests [document or process] by [confirmed date and time zone]. If you are available, I can send the instructions, my current resume and a short summary of the application. If the timing does not work, I understand.

Thank you, [Name]

Replace every bracket and use a truthful example. This is a request for the person's independent assessment, not a script telling them what endorsement to give.

Send a brief, factual packet after they agree

Keep the packet small enough to use. Include the exact role or program, the employer's instructions, the submission route, the deadline and your resume. Add a few reminders of work they observed, clearly identified as reminders rather than drafted praise.

For each item, verify who is responsible. If the recommender receives a private portal link, do not ask them to send it to you or give you their login. If the process requires a signed letter, confirm the current requirement before requesting a particular format. If you are responsible for uploading a file, verify it is the final version the recommender intended to provide.

Track the process without assuming completion

“Agreed to recommend” and “submitted” are separate states. Record the request date, the person's response, the agreed follow-up and the employer's confirmation where one exists. An email saying a letter is finished does not prove the application portal received it.

If a deadline is approaching, a concise reminder can restate the agreed task and ask whether anything else is needed. Avoid repeated daily messages. If the person cannot complete the task, use the employer's instructions to determine whether an alternative recommender or later submission is possible; do not promise yourself an exception.

Record your next action in the application desk. If you are still identifying the actual application route, first read how residency applications differ.