Asking for recommendations has always been out of my comfort zone. But asking the same people for multiple recommendation letters seems worse than gulping a shot of honey mustard (and I equally dislike both honey and mustard). That is why I felt truly relieved when I found out about Interfolio.com, an online service for dossier and credentials.
The website enables users to store and repeatedly distribute confidential academic and professional credentials. In other words: you ask for a recommendation letter once, the writer uploads it to Interfolio for free, and you can send it to multiple institutions digitally or in print. Sounds so simple, right? Yet, the site came to existence only in 1999 and has been gaining popularity in recent years.
In addition to saving letters of recommendation, the Interfolio community can also build online portfolios and send other application materials worldwide. That is why it is particularly useful to people in higher education and in search of job opportunities.
Naturally, applicants need to pay for all these services. It costs $19 for a one-year account, $39.90 for a three-year account and $57 for a five-year account. Although I won't pay $1 to listen to Pandora radio for a month, I am willing to pay $40 for using Interfolio for three years. Now this is an investment worth its money!
Photo credit: FotoRita [Allstar maniac]