Lex and the City: A Letter of Reccomendation

Why hello there Lexers. Looking outside, it seems as though the sun has finally smiled on our little campus and is melting away what’s remained of the everlasting snow. Hopefully this weather sticks so that in a couple of weeks, we can officially open up the tubing season with style!

So it was when a friend of mine and I were filling out internship and job applications over LexCof’s flavored latte’s and scones that the subject of recommendation letters came up.  Between debating who to ask for them, how far in advance to alert those people and what we should ask them to highlight about our strengths, it became clear that the letter of recommendation is the business way of saying wingman. I couldn’t help but wonder, in relationships, how important is a good wingman/woman? When you and your friends are out on the prowl, who do you trust to help you with the kill? When it comes to men and women, what qualities make a good letter of recommendation?

When you boil it all down, the process of applying for a job and finding a special someone is actually quite similar. There’s the cover letter—or what you decide to wear out on the town that night. There’s the resume itself—some might call that a personality or access to an American Express Black card. There’s the interview—first date. Second interview—date two and so forth and so on until legs are spread… or a job offer is extended. And just like landing the perfect job, knowing the right people can go a long way in finding the perfect significant other. If you and your right hand man are working towards the same goal, the chances of success are twice as high as if you were working alone. I’m not a math major, but I like that calculus.

So what makes a good wingman? Simply put, the ability to highlight your strengths in a simple concise way. Like a letter of recommendation, you don’t want your wingman to go on and on for days about how wonderful you are (if you’re so “wonderful” you don’t want people to wonder why your wingman isn’t with you). You want them to get to the point, demonstrate your good qualities quickly and efficiently and then hit the recycling bin. Think about your unique strengths and then pit a complimenting wingman with them—like khakis and a blue blazer or the female equivalent. If you are a comical individual, find a wingman that enjoys laughing at your jokes. If you are very smart, find a wingman who allows you to demonstrate your intellectual prowess without showing off. It’s quite simple really: you use your wingman to highlight the qualities you want others to notice first.

When going out on the town, it’s important to surround yourself with a strong arsenal. What you don’t want is a flaky wingman. You don’t want that last minute write-up from a Professor who barely knows you or doesn’t have time to craft anything better than the stock recommendation. Likewise, you don’t want to take on a sidekick that’s going to half-ass it or find their own way when you need them the most. Like my good friend The Situation would put it, you want someone to distract the jungle creatures downstairs while you take care of business upstairs. Selecting the proper wingman goes beyond choosing someone that compliments your strengths… it also entails choosing someone with focus and commitment to see the job through. Like the old African adage says: what good is having a chicken if you have no coop… or something like that.

Folks, landing the right job is almost as difficult as landing the right significant other. It isn’t something that just falls into your lap, but rather something you’ve got to actively seek out and in doing so, you need to arm yourself accordingly. Solicit that wingman, go out on the town and watch the offers come in. Have a good week, Lexers, and until next time…