Choose someone who has seen your work
Read whether the program requires academic, professional, or other reference types. Within those rules, consider a professor, laboratory instructor, supervisor, or adviser who can describe your contribution. A famous person who barely knows you may have little useful evidence. Avoid assuming a family friend qualifies when an academic or professional recommendation is requested.
Make the request clear and easy to decline
Explain the program, why you are applying, the deadline and time zone, and how the letter is submitted. Ask whether the person has time and feels able to write a supportive recommendation. Give as much lead time as you can, without treating a particular number of weeks as an employer rule. If the person declines, thank them and choose another suitable reference.
Supply context, not a scripted endorsement
Send your resume, the opportunity link, a draft statement if useful, and a brief reminder of the work they supervised. Mention a project, paper, or responsibility they can actually remember. Do not ask them to claim accomplishments they did not observe or sign a letter that misrepresents their judgment. Follow any confidentiality and submission instructions.
Track the letter as a separate dependency
Write down the application's cutoff and the reference cutoff; they may differ. Confirm whether submission triggers an automated invitation and verify that the email address is correct. Check the portal's receipt status when available. You cannot assume that a submitted application includes completed references or that your recommender received an invitation.
Close the loop politely
A brief reminder near the agreed deadline can include the program name, submission link instructions, and thanks. Avoid daily nudges or requests for a confidential letter's contents. After the process, thank the person and let them know the outcome if you wish. Keep their contact information private; do not put it in a public portfolio or shared comparison URL.
Send everything they need in the first message
A referee saying yes should not then have to chase you for details. Include the program name and link, the deadline and how the letter is submitted, what the role involves, which class or project you worked together on and roughly when, and a short note on what you would like emphasized. Attach your resume and, where relevant, the draft of your statement. Making it easy is both courteous and the thing most likely to get you a specific letter rather than a generic one.
Handle a no, or a silence, without making it awkward
A referee who declines, or who says they can only write something brief, is doing you a favor — a lukewarm letter is worse than a different referee. Thank them and move on quickly rather than pressing. If someone has not replied after a week, send one short reminder with the deadline; if that goes unanswered, ask someone else rather than waiting. Always confirm in the portal that a letter actually arrived, and thank each referee afterwards and tell them the outcome.
A practical starting point
A request you can adapt with true details
Hello [name], I am applying to [program] because [specific reason]. Would you have time to write a supportive recommendation based on my work in [course/project/job]? The letter is due [date, time, time zone] through [submission method]. I can send my resume, the program instructions, and a short reminder of our work together. I understand if your schedule does not allow it. Thank you, [your name]
This is editorial guidance, not an employer-required format. Use true details, respect authorship rules, and follow the actual application prompt.
Check the program-specific instructions
Use these independent guides to find the official requirements and application route. General advice does not override a publisher's instructions.
Check eligibility and the selected role's document instructions before submitting. FirstInternships does not accept applications; the optional private Talent Network is a separate profile and never submits an employer application for you.
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