If you’ve had a good internship this summer, or if you have a great one during the school year, rule #1 is don’t leave without a terrific recommendation! You may want your boss to add it to your LinkedIn profile, or take it in another electronic form. But get something as you’re leaving – while they’re still thinking how great you are.

Of course, most managers are crazy busy, and your referral letter is just one more thing for them to do. Part of the problem is they don’t know what to say. Here are four questions you could pose to any supervisor to help them write you a great recommendation after an internship.

1.  “Can you say something about my work ethic?”

For example, was I a hard worker, diligent, detail-oriented, good at follow up, a self-starter, proactive?

Unfortunately, hiring managers today think lots of job candidates are slackers in disguise. Anything you can do to show your next boss that you’re a hard worker is to your advantage.

2.  “What can you say about my ability to learn things quickly? Was I able to be productive pretty fast?”

There is so much to learn in any new job, and potential employers almost always worry whether the candidate they’re considering (hopefully you!) is a quick study. Do you learn something the first time you’re told? Do you bring a lot of “common sense” to the job?

Anything your internship supervisor can say to convey you were a quick learner, productive reasonably quickly and able to work independently is a valuable compliment.

3.  “Can you say something about my contribution to the team? Was I a good team player? Was I a fun colleague?”

For employers today, everything is about the team and whether you will fit in and added value to the group. Managers are scared to death of bringing in a bad apple, so anything your internship supervisor can say about your ability to fit in and the value you added to the team would be great.

4.  “Most important, can you say anything about my specific contributions to the team or the organization? What did I accomplish or complete in my time with the group? What specific outcomes did I produce?”

For example, did you create a specific report, work on a project team meeting a difficult deadline, or do some important research?

The best predictor of what you will do in your next job is the skills you’ve already demonstrated by producing specific, concrete outputs in past roles. Employers always want to know what skills you have clearly displayed in the past.

Ask your internship supervisor to answer at least three of these questions in a few sentences and you’ve got an excellent asset for future job searches.