September 11, 2012 | Alberta

Before adults cross the last "t" and dot the final "i" of their oil and gas administration education, there are a couple priorities students must keep in mind to help them land jobs after graduation. One of the most important things is finding someone to write a reference letter.

Narrowing it down to that one candidate may seem overwhelming and intimidating at first. Instructors understand the importance of this task and often dole out this duty for a large number of students, so they are accustomed to the routine. For those who are still a bit hesitant about approaching their instructors, here are a few tips to help them prepare for this duty.

How well did they do in the class?

Even if students and teachers have a tight-knit bond, the student's overall performance is an essential factor to determining whether or not the teacher is the right person to ask for a reference letter. In a recommendation letter, the instructor will likely have to rank students' abilities, and lying is not an option in this type of professional scenario. Instead, students should choose an instructor who they have a friendly relationship with on top of a stellar performance throughout the program.

How up-to-date is the instructor's knowledge of the student's work?

Students who choose instructors they have had years ago might not get as strong a reference letter as colleagues who choose an educator from their most recent courses. Even if the instructor knew the student well three years ago, chances are their memory of the individual has decreased gradually since that oil and gas business class from 2009. As a result, approaching an instructor immediately after the program has ended is crucial so that both the student and instructor have each other fresh on their minds.

Does the instructor have a strong reputation at the school?

While young adults do not have to ask the president of the college or the dean of admissions, they should make sure that the instructors they approach are respectable and intelligent professionals in their given industry. Doing a bit of background research on social media sites such as LinkedIn can help students gain a feel for the types of connections that the instructor has in the oil and gas sector - whether with fellow educators or petroleum company managers.

Once students have gone through this check list, they can be ready to ask their teachers if they would help them with a letter of reference.

Students who wish to take business courses in the Oil and Gas Administration program at CDI College can fill out the form on the right for more information.