The Letter Service will house and retain your letters for years to come, and provide you with a quick and easy means of submitting dossiers even after you have left Berkeley. As your career develops, new letters can be added and old ones retired, all by phone or via email. Creating a letter file is quick and easy. For more information, access the Letter Service section of this website. Once you have set up your file, it is ready to receive your letters of recommendation.
Some departments handle the recommendation process in-house.
Someone, usually the graduate assistant, has forms available that you give to those you have asked to write on your behalf. At the same time, you will open a letter file that will house your letters as they are received. You may also be given the option of providing a CV, abstract, transcript, et. Some departments charge a fee for creating a file, and virtually all have a modest fee for processing each request. If you don't think and act ahead, you run the risk that your letters will not be sent as quickly as you would like.