When You Need A Letter Of Recommendation…

There will be occasions where you might need a letter of recommendation. You might be applying for a grant or some other source of funding. You might be trying to get your pieces into a gallery or high-end boutique. You might be submitting a piece to a juried competition. You might be searching for a partnership or collaboration or guidance.

You might request this letter from a mentor, a colleague, someone familiar with your work, or a gallery or boutique owner.

You want that person, in the context of that letter, to refer to your competitive advantage. That is how you differentiate yourself from other jewelry designers. It suggests that taking a risk on showing/selling your works is worthwhile. Some examples of describing your competitive advantages:

1. innovative, originality, differentiation

2. sells well, clear and predictable client base

3. experimenting with new materials, techniques or technologies

4. responsible, always timely, communicates well with client during process

5. open and willing to learn, adaptable, flexible

You want to clearly explain to that person, before they write that letter of recommendation, what you personally want to get from the opportunity. It might include such…