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In this day and age of electronic communication, is it inappropriate to ask someone to be a reference through email?
I would like to ask two people outside of my organization, but telephoning them from my current job is not an option. The walls have ears.....
Does anyone have an opinion if this is tacky or not?
Thanks! Donna
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I've had people email me to ask me to be a reference before, and don't mind at all -- actually prefer it to the phone. But you know these people, so should have a better idea of what they personally would prefer.
Rachel Singer Gordon / rachel@lisjobs.comFind a library job: http://www.lisjobs.comThe Liminal Librarian: http://www.lisjobs.com/blog
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I asked for references by e-mail too. I'd mentioned when I was sending my application materials so my references could have time to do their writing.
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Wow, I never even thought about this. E-mail is just the main way I communicate with people today, so I never even gave it a second thought before I e-mailed my references.
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dschaal wrote:In this day and age of electronic communication, is it inappropriate to ask someone to be a reference through email?
I would like to ask two people outside of my organization, but telephoning them from my current job is not an option. The walls have ears.....
Does anyone have an opinion if this is tacky or not? I think it is fairly common. Just make sure they have the details: timeline, job description, your updated resume, etc. More information you give some easier it is for them to write the best recommendation possible, Good luck!
Brian C. Gray Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University http://blog.case.edu/bcg8bcg8@case.edu
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Thanks! It's just been awhile since I've done this......Donna
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Donna, what a great question. I had to think about this. The last time around, I think I asked people in person and via IM. :) Or maybe email. The important thing (and this is not just for you, but for anyone reading this) is to maintain those relationships in between job hunts. It's always less awkward to ask for a reference when you've stayed in touch with someone.
Just recently an old friend, who I met when we worked together years ago, asked me to writer her a letter of recommendation for library school, my alma mater. I was delighted.
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dschaal wrote:In this day and age of electronic communication, is it inappropriate to ask someone to be a reference through email?
I would like to ask two people outside of my organization, but telephoning them from my current job is not an option. The walls have ears.....
Does anyone have an opinion if this is tacky or not?
Thanks! Donna I think it's definitely okay to ask via email, especially people who are a long distance from you. I have done this myself several times. In fact, email is the primary way I keep in contact with many of my professional contacts, several of whom are out of state.
Check out the Talking Books Librarian blog at http://talkingbookslibrarian.blogspot.com
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