Letter of Rec..ok or overkill?

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AlmostAPharmD

Full Member
10+ Year Member
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I know I have been full of questions these past few days 🙄 but do you think a letter of recommendation from my current employer would be necessary for applying with a retail company? I just wasn't sure if this was common practice. Also when sending thank yous for interviews, are e-thank you cards ok as long as they are professional, or do people want paper thank you cards(trying to save paper AND money 🙂)? Are thank you cards definitely necessary?
 
Yes, a recommendation from your current employer is essential. Do whatever that is necessary. You have worked hard, why not just work a little more? It is competitive out there. You need to stand out.
 
Definitely get a letter from your current employer, although it doesn't hurt to ask beforehand if they've written a letter before or if it would be a good one.

I'm personally in favor of thank you cards, written is a nice touch in some cases. I wouldn't send an e-card though, just a plain email is fine if you want to go with the electronic route.
 
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I think Thank You cards are a must! When I did my interviews, this was a great opportunity to talk about the highlights of my qualifications and probe them for details about follow-up. Most of them seemed to appreciate it and responded. I did emails, just because the actual mail is so slow and who knows how long it would take to reach them. Plus with email, you are more likely to get a quick response🙂
 
Thanks everyone for the responses. I forgot to ask, but I'm assuming a letter of rec sent through email would be fine?
 
Depends on the rest of the application. If everything (resume/CV, letter of intent, etc.) has been sent through email then you're probably alright. If not I would have the recommender send a physical letter. Even if using email, I would still probably have a physical letter sent as followup. Otherwise, it could easily be you sending the letter in from a phony email account.