Applying later => Getting LORs before I leave: What's the protocol?

[yusername]

My situation, phrased poorly:  Hi Prof, for financial reasons, I've decided to work for a bit first, but still intend to apply to grad school.  Would you be able to write me a LOR now, because I'm afraid you might forget every trace of my existence by the time I actually apply?

General advice here seems to favor asking for LORs before I leave, and I

Comments

[mbwahl]

Here's what I would do:

Tell the prof you're about to start applying for jobs. Would he be okay with you listing him as a reference? ("Why certainly!") And you're going to be sending out those resumes in the next couple of weeks - could he have a letter ready in case someone requests the references? ("Anything for my star pupil!") Alternatively, you've discovered a grant/scholarship/prize/fellowship that you conveniently don't have a fireman's chance in hell of winning - I recommend the Watson. Would he please recommend you? ("Of course yusername, you *deserve* that money!")

Now he has written the letter. You can't store the letter yourself, so just politely ask the prof if he would hold onto it as you plan on applying to grad school soon.

[dragondaisy10]

this response made me smile =)

[yusername]

Thanks! I like your second idea a lot.

Think I'll have some problems implementing the first: I've the impression that job references are listed so that employers can call/email them directly to ask questions, and these references wouldn't need to have letters on hand. (Hence asking for a LOR for a job might be weird.) Also, it would be difficult to find out if they actually did write it.

Applying for a long-shot academic something could work out though. My first thought was perhaps to send in an app to 1 or 2 schools with the cheapest fees so the profs could write them (and force/punish myself to write an SOP in the process -- guess if I make them do work, I've got to do something as well...) Though now that you mention grants/fellowships, I do remember that workshop I considered applying for last summer...

[mbwahl]

Oh yeah, come to think of it, you don't need LORs to apply for jobs. *blush* Since I've already tipped my hand: the only jobs I've had outside of academia were at fast food joints. Well, good thing you caught it, and not him/her/it/them!

[ravenword]

When I was applying for lab tech jobs right out of college, one of them wanted 2 or 3 letters of recommendation. I was like, "Um, whatever" and stopped the application process, but some people do want LORs.