Tips for Cultivating References

References and letters of recommendation are often the last thing that job candidates think about when assembling their application materials. Yet these supporting documents and contacts need to be cultivated throughout one’s graduate program. Not everyone has the same extent of social capital to cultivate, which often means that extra attention must be given to developing this component of one’s job application. Read more here for tips and strategies to ensure you are not scrambling at the last minute to have people support you as a qualified candidate for a job.

“Cultivating References Over the Long Haul” was written by Kay Kimball Gruder, Associate Director for Graduate Student and Postdoc Career Programs and Services at the University of Connecticut for Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 11, 2023

Inside Higher Ed provides the latest news, analysis and solutions for the entire higher education community. Inside Higher Ed is owned by Times Higher Education (THE), the world’s most authoritative source of data, analysis and information on higher education, with five decades’ experience dedicated to the field.

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers