At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we began to see massive layoffs and furloughs. The words layoff and furlough was seen across countless headlines. While we have been making progress over the past couple of months, the unemployment rate in September is 7.9%. To put in perspective, the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 3.5% unemployment rate at the end of February. We are still more than double the number before the pandemic led to major shutdowns.

Losing a job is hard, we’ve heard clients sound defeated by the present moment and afraid of what the future holds. We understand all too well how mentally challenging the process of losing a job unexpectedly and finding another. Let’s clarify some confusions on what it means to be laid off versus furloughed and what actions you can take now. 

Laid off vs Furloughed

The biggest difference between getting laid off instead of furloughed is the former is usually permanent while the latter is intended to be temporary. When an employer furloughs employees, it is usually with the hope that they will return. Some employees are furloughed due to seasonal jobs, for example, jobs in the hospitality and retail industry. There is an understanding that employees will return during the next high-demand season. They are still technically employees, but they are not getting paid. What we have been seeing all across the country since March, are furloughs due to unexpected financial losses and circumstances – COVID-19 has surely brought both. Due to unforeseen closures of almost all businesses and the confusion over what was to come, companies began to furlough their employees, with the hope they would return when they could reopen and things got “back to normal.” 7 months later and it’s clear that 

PTO Benefits

There are certain benefits that are provided to the employee when they are laid off that are not offered when they are furloughed. 

The Department of Labor states, “if your employer furloughs you because it does not have enough work for you, you are not entitled to take paid sick leave or paid expanded family and medical leave.” Additionally, because you are still considered an employee when you are furloughed, you will not be paid out for unused paid time off (PTO). Paying out unused PTO varies by state and each company sets its own guidelines in regards to PTO according to state laws, or lack thereof. As an example, according to California law, “whenever a contract of employment….provides for paid vacations and an employee is terminated without having taken off his vested vacation time, all vested vacation shall be paid to him as wages at his final rate in accordance.” Again, if you are furloughed, you’re still technically an employee. There is also less paperwork for employers when they furlough an employee instead of layoff an employee. 

If you have been furloughed with no clear indication of when you will return, we highly recommend that you begin searching for a new job. Some companies will provide you with a timeline, but given the lack of clarity on what our future holds with COVID-19, employers do not have a timeline. Employees can move from furloughed to laid off as months pass and the uncertainty continues. While I will not call it a “pro” in any way, there is more clarity when you are laid off. There is no confusion, you are unemployed and it’s time to start looking. 

Next Steps

File for Unemployment

Whether you are laid off or furloughed you can file for unemployment. Each state has its own system in place for filing for unemployment. The early months of the shutdown caused an influx of individuals filing for unemployment and many states were struggling with the demand. While the process of getting unemployment may be frustrating, remain patient, and persistent. 

You can find your state’s unemployment webpage here. You can file your claim online, over the phone, or in-person if necessary. 

The information needed for your claim will vary by state, below is the list for Florida.

• Social Security number

• Driver’s License or State ID number

• Employment information for the last 18 months for each employer:

• FEIN number (this is found on your W2 or 1099 tax form), if available

• Employer name (name on pay stub), address, and phone number

• First and last day of work

• Gross earnings (before taxes are taken out) covering the last 18 months

• Reason for separation

Get clear on your target job

Has your entire industry been decimated? Were you unhappily employed anyway and now want to switch careers? Or maybe you loved your job and now get to find another one that is similar in nature? 

Either scenario is a hard position to be in, and it presents an opportunity for a new path. Get clear on your career interests and be open-minded.

Think about these questions:

What kind of job position do you want?

What are your talents and skills that contribute to tasks and responsibilities?

What are the kind of companies you want to work with?

Big company vs small company? 

Startup vs established company?

Where, geographically, are you willing to work?

Networking

According to PayScale, over 70% of people are in their current position due to networking. The wider you cast your net to find a job, the more opportunities you will come across. Take advantage of social media sites, especially LinkedIn to network. Actively put yourself on the market, make connections, and nurture them. Be clear about your target job, geographic area, and any other pertinent information. Do not reach out and vaguely say you are seeking a job opportunity in industry and attach your resume.

You may be surprised by how willing people are to connect you to a job posting or someone they know, which they can only do if they know you are looking for it!

While the process of finding a job is challenging, it is also challenging for hiring managers to find the right candidate. While you read job posting after job posting, there is a recruiter reading resume after resume. It costs money for a company to hire someone, and they want to make sure they hire the right person. Networking will increase your chances

Consult people in your personal and professional networks. These people will be able to help you understand what steps you need to take to understand the ins and outs of another field. 

You may also network with people and request an informational interview. As stated in Berkeley’s Career Center, “An informational interview is an informal conversation you can have with someone working in an area of interest to you. It is an effective research tool and is best done after preliminary online research.  It is not a job interview, and the objective is not to find job openings.” While this is not the objective, we have seen our clients receive an interview offer after an informational interview. Below is an example of a message for a career changer:

Hello Karina, 

My name is Nora Jones, and I am interested in switching career paths. I have extensive experience in the Hospitality industry and was drawn to your LinkedIn profile as it certainly proves you are a successful Healthcare Administrator for Silver Palms Medical Group. I would love to learn more about you and your career path to better understand your role and ensure I am going down the right path.

Would you be available for an informational interview? We can meet via zoom for a cup of coffee. Thank you in advance and I look forward to connecting with you. 

Best, 

Nora

Never underestimate the power of flattery. People are often willing to help those who display complete respect for them. 

Build a “master” resume

Check out our blog on How to Write a Resume in 2020 to help get you started. The resume you share with employers should be one-page at most. However, your master resume will serve as an internal resource and will include all of your experience. Include every single project, job, volunteering opportunity, internship, etc. you did throughout your college years. This could exceed one-page and that’s okay, as I said, this is an internal resource. You will not share this with employers. 

Tailor your resume 

Now that you have your master resume, you can pull from this document to tailor your resumes for all jobs. Follow all the tips you got from How to Write a Resume blog. If you are sending the same resume to every employer, you are doing this wrong. The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. There are plenty of resume rules, creating a resume that reflects how your experience is a match with what the company is looking for is essential. This is even more important for career changers because it not obvious as to how your experience is compatible with the role you are applying to.

This is incredibly important for your resume to make it to the lap of a hiring manager.  According to Jobscan, over 98% of Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). “Rather than manually reviewing each resume, recruiters and hiring managers can search for resumes based on keywords, or have the system filter or automatically rank applicants.”

How to tailor your resume:

If you are not tailoring your resume to reflect how your experience directly matches their job posting, your resume will more than likely get filtered out and lost. This does not mean copy and pastes keywords from the job posting into your resume and think it’s complete. Be strategic, read the entire job posting, and create your resume from there. 

Make a copy of your master resume, delete all the bullet points and experiences that don’t relate to the job posting. Keep only the experience that is relevant and then adjust your bullet points to match keywords from the posting. 

Get help

We know this process is no walk in the park. You are not alone in this process, millions of people are unemployed. 2020 has been a year of trials and tribulations, blessings in disguise, and perseverance. It’s important to take action now and request support when needed. We’ve seen beautiful stories on LinkedIn of individuals thanking others for helping them find their next job. Consider getting a career coach. Prepory has a career coaching program called Sprout and it provides you with the tools, resources, knowledge, and unlimited accountability necessary for you to land your next job. You can schedule a free consultation with one of our career coaches below to learn more.

Letters of recommendation are an important admissions factor. This is because they can help personalize the admissions process by providing key insights into how you are perceived by your teachers, coaches, and advisors. 

College admissions committees want to admit high-achieving, thoughtful, professional students. Letters of recommendation can help demonstrate whether or not you fall into these categories. This is why it is important to know who to ask and how to ask for a letter of recommendation during your senior year of high school.

If you are currently in your junior year of high school, do your best to foster thoughtful, professional relationships with faculty members and teachers so that when it’s time, you will be able to include a detailed, genuine reference letter as part of the college application.

What is a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation is a personal, professional, or academic reference often sent along with a college or job application. The purpose of a letter of recommendation is to personalize your application. They also demonstrate that you have a supportive community of people who believe in you and are happy to advocate on your behalf.

During a job search, make sure to touch base with your letter writer to provide them with job descriptions, your cover letter, company names, potential employers, and any known details about the hiring manager. If you are wondering how to ask someone for a letter of recommendation or how to draft a letter of recommendation request email, read on!

How important is a recommendation letter for your college application?

An impressive high school GPA, high SAT and ACT test scores, and a robust schedule of extracurriculars and clubs are all key factors in your college applications. A strong letter of recommendation for college admission, however, adds further credibility to your application. 

If you are applying to the Ivy-leagues or other highly-selective colleges, a glowing recommendation letter may be exactly what you need to stand out! Keep this in mind during the college application process as you formulate your letter of recommendation requests and research how to ask for a recommendation letter.

Who to ask for a letter of recommendation?​

As you prepare your college applications or search for a new job, consider your letter of recommendation requests carefully. Of your teachers, coaches, mentors, previous employers, school counselors, and advisors, who can speak best to your overall character, work ethic, and academic abilities? Who do you trust most to advocate for you?

Many colleges ask for several letters of recommendation as part of the admissions process. Plan ahead and make sure you ask for references as early as possible. This will help ensure that you remain organized and on track this application season.

An important first step is asking for a letter of recommendation by email. In this article, we will review several effective email templates, as well as several successful examples of college letter of recommendation requests.

How to ask for a recommendation letter that will successfully boost your application: 5 actionable tips

If you are wondering how to ask a teacher for a letter of recommendation, read on! It can feel intimidating to know how to ask for a letter of recommendation for college. This is why it’s important to feel prepared and to know what to expect.

Before you move forward with your recommendation requests, review these 5 helpful tips on how to ask a teacher for a letter of recommendation for your college applications or how to ask a professor for a letter of recommendation for grad school.

01

Plan ahead

Colleges and universities often require two to three letters of recommendation as a part of the admissions process. Plan ahead and actively reflect on who is best suited to write you a detailed, genuine letter of recommendation. Teachers, coaches, mentors, academic advisors, and high school guidance counselors are all good choices!

02

Ask your potential references in person before sending an email

Try your best to ask your potential references in person before sending them an email. This is especially important if you routinely interact with your potential reference or have the ability to see them easily. Sending letters of recommendation request emails is useful and practical; this is because teachers can easily refer back to them. Your initial request, however, should ideally be made in person. Not only does this feel more personal, but it will more likely be successful. An email can be overlooked or ignored, whereas an in-person request cannot.

03

Provide guidance & key details

Your references must have a clear understanding of what your expectations are moving forward. Provide them with key details — such as a list of the schools you are applying to, your prospective major, your list of extracurricular activities, a brag sheet, the letter of recommendation deadline, as well as where to send the letter once it has been completed. 

If possible, schedule a time to sit down with them to discuss your goals, ambitions, as well as your reasons for applying to each college face-to-face. Check in to make sure they have all of the information they need to write a successful letter of recommendation. You may even consider sharing your college essay with them. Overall, when considering how to request a letter of recommendation, remember, the more details they have the better! 

04

Make sure to follow up

It’s professional and polite to follow up with your references after you submit your college applications. Let them know which schools you got admitted to so that they can celebrate with you! Your teachers have worked hard on your behalf and are personally invested in your success. Acknowledge this by keeping them up-to-date about your applications.

05

Send thank you notes

When asking for a letter of recommendation, remember, your references are doing you a favor. Express your gratitude! Send them a thank-you note afterward. Not only will your references appreciate you taking the time to thank them, but it will likely improve their opinion of you. This will come in handy if you need to list them as a reference again in the future!

How to ask for a letter of recommendation via email: Sample emails

It can feel intimidating to reach out to someone via email for a personal reference. This is why it’s important to be prepared and to know what to expect. Asking for a letter of recommendation samples can help you feel prepared and write professional emails. Compare and contrast several sample requests for a letter of recommendation from professors before drafting your own email.

Below are several examples of a successful letter of recommendation request email. Use each letter of recommendation request sample as a guideline as you move forward with your applications.

Free customizable letter of recommendation request template

Review how to ask for a letter of recommendation via email samples carefully before continuing. Then use the template below to help you get started and draft a professional email. Feel free to customize and personalize the message!

Hello [name],

I’m reaching out because I’m applying for college and am in the process of organizing my written application materials. Are you willing and able to write me a letter of recommendation?

I really enjoyed taking your class on [blank]. Your assignments helped me with [blank] and [blank]. During college, I plan to study [blank]. Therefore, I was hoping you could speak to my ability to [blank] in your college recommendation letter. 

Please let me know if you have any questions and if you are available to provide me with a reference. 

Thank you,

[Your Name]

5 common mistakes to avoid when asking for a letter of recommendation​

A detailed, genuine letter of recommendation can enhance your college applications greatly, especially if you are applying to Ivy League colleges, but a generic or negative letter of recommendation can be damaging. Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid when asking for a letter of recommendation.

01

Asking the wrong person

If you did not receive high grades in a class or were consistently tardy or absent, do not ask this teacher for a recommendation. Reflect thoroughly and honestly on your interactions with them. Were you a good student in their class? Did you consistently submit high-quality work? Will they have positive things to say about you?

If possible, also avoid asking teachers or professors who you have not seen or interacted with in several years. Ideally, you want detailed letters of recommendation. This may prove to be difficult if you have not seen your potential reference in several years.

02

Procrastination

It’s important to be respectful of your teachers’ time. If you do not give your references enough notice to plan ahead, they may decline your request for a recommendation or miss the deadline. Avoid these potential stressors by planning ahead and avoiding last-minute requests. Give your references plenty of time to write a good letter.

03

Disorganization

Make sure you are organized! Make a list of deadlines. Send your references gentle but persistent reminders as deadlines approach. Avoid procrastination and disorganization. Make sure you know how many letters of recommendation you need for each school you are applying to, when they are due, and how to submit them.

04

Being vague

Avoid being vague and give your references as many details as possible. If you know what you want to study, make sure to tell them! Similarly, if you are passionate about attending a certain school, tell them why.

You do not want a generic reference letter, especially if you are applying to competitive schools. Be as specific and as detailed as possible. Provide them with copies of your application materials and your updated resume and Linkedin (if applicable). Be clear about what your hopes and expectations are for their letter of recommendation.

05

Not following up

It’s important to follow up to let your teachers know how your applications are progressing and to say thank you. Also, if you do not follow up, you risk possibly being forgotten… Teachers are incredibly busy at this time of year, so follow up to make sure they are prepared to meet the earliest deadline. On the off chance that your reference can no longer write you a letter of recommendation, it’s important to have given yourself enough time to find an alternative reference.

Key takeaways from how to request a letter of recommendation

Letters of recommendation can be powerful application factors. College admissions officers want to admit students who are capable of academic success. By fostering close, professional relationships with past and current teachers, you increase your chances of receiving thoughtful, professional recommendations. 

When requesting a letter of recommendation, make sure you plan ahead, provide your references with ample time, stay organized, clearly outline your expectations, provide all the necessary details and information, follow up with your references, and provide gentle reminders as application deadlines approach.

Still have questions about letters of recommendation? Read on for some frequently asked questions and answers.

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