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What makes the ideal LOR

mdwAT2

mdwAT2

A. J. Squaredaway
What is the ideal length in words?


My thoughts are to get LOR's from:

-a recently ret. master chief who I've worked with at a civilian job (I actually trained him) and who is a personal friend

-my most recent boss at my current employer

-a professor

-my pastor (who can attest to a lot of my volunteer work)

Is 4 too many LOR's, or not enough?
 
in my experience and from reading on the forums..you can find LOR gouge ad nauseum on this board by the way through the search engine...a well rounded LOR from people close to you who know you in different facets of your life would be ideal..(coach, teacher, pastor, family friend) you get the drift. they will all essentially (hopefully) say the same thing..yadda good guy yadda yadda hard worker yadda yadda i highly recommend...get a bit of variety...4 LOR's is about right, don't overdo it, it can get watered down with too many people writing the same thing(s).

i hope that helps.
 
And the LOR that will hold more water than all the people you listed combined is someone that is a retired or former member of the naval aviation community (NA, NFO, AMDO). Look up the ANA (Association of Naval Aviation) they have chapters all over the country. Chances are there is a chapter near you. Start going to their meetings and get to know these people. Most of the time after they get to know you better, they are more than willing to help you out with anything from LORs to general questions you may have about the Navy. I'll be the first to tell you that an outstanding LOR from a retired O-5 or above will take you a long way, as long as the rest of your package is squared away.

As far as length; I'd say keep it to a page. Three to four paragraphs should be ample space to explain how sh!t hot you are and why they are recommending you.

Your recruiter will probably let you know when you have too many LORs.
 
Sincerity is key. If they are a big name, but don't really know you: almost worthless. A highschool teacher or clergy member who has known you for years is far more valuable than a Colonel you just called up and asked to write you a letter. I sincerely doubt a form letter from a senator is going to flip a non-select the other way.

Length? Thing about it logically. Would you want to read a novel? Probably not. A couple paragraphs ought to suffice. If you even have a say in the matter, then advise them to be concise and to the point.

Sincerity and brevity will go a long way (and this is from reading recommendations for anything, not just the Navy).

For me, I had like 4 non-military recommendations from people who knew me (bosses and the like) and 2 retired military professors who I asked to sit down and talk with about their experiences in the military. I then asked them at the end of our meeting if they would write me a recommendation. Both obliged happily. One was a retired Marine Colonel A-6 pilot, and the other a retired Navy LCDR helo pilot. YMMV.
 
bogey_spotter said:
If they are a big name, but don't really know you: almost worthless.
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This is the reason to attend some of the meetings and let someone get to know you! I agree though, if they don't know you don't waist your time because chances are it would be something generic that wouldn't be worth it.

Anyway, just some advise on LORs I was given by an active duty Capt. USN. I wasn't sure what your timeline was (when you're trying to submit your package), so I thought I'd pass it on for what it's worth. Good Luck!
 
Keep it to one page in length, the more senior / experienced the writer the better, but only if he / she can say "I've known mdwAT2 for xx years..."

Your former enlisted record, and your academics will weigh heavily and be primary documents that get reviewed.

Your LORs should highlight leadership ("organized our church study group with XX number of active participants..."), an opinion on your ability to succeed in the program ("I am confident mdw has what it takes to be a superb Intelligence Officer...") and officer-like qualities. But these words will ring hollow if the author of the letter isn't able to establish why he believes he can judge those traits and your potential to succeed.

The ideal LOR (for you) would be from a senior Intel Officer who has known you for a long time. He would then be able to comment on your suitability as an officer, ability to perform in the Intel community, and would have credibility and speak from familiarity with you.

That guy may not exist, so work with what you have. Don't be afraid to provide your mentors with a brag sheet or resume summarizing what you believe your strengths and interests are. They can then customize it to their style.

Good luck!
 
Do LOR's need to be signed? I had one emailed to me, so I need to know if I should ask him to sign and mail it.
 
mdwAT2 said:
Do LOR's need to be signed? I had one emailed to me, so I need to know if I should ask him to sign and mail it.
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I would. A printed letter looks pretty unprofessional. How the hell do they know if you just typed it up yourself?
 
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