How do universities provide reference letters for job applications, and can I use those letters to apply to multiple companies?

Whether you can reuse a university reference letter for multiple job applications depends on how it was written and which industry you are targeting. Your professor can address a letter generally, To Whom It May Concern, and upload it to a dossier service like Interfolio so it goes out automatically whenever you apply. Your confidential letters, though, stay locked inside the official system and cannot be downloaded and reattached yourself.

How Universities Deliver Your Reference Letters

Where You Can And Cannot Reuse A Letter

• A general, To Whom It May Concern letter uploaded to a dossier service can usually be reused across many applications.
• A confidential letter, where you have waived your right to inspect it, cannot be manually downloaded and reattached to job portals yourself; it must be sent through the official system.
• Academic, fellowship, government, and research roles regularly accept standard reused dossier letters.
• Private sector corporate roles typically prefer directly contacting your references or receiving a letter tailored specifically to that job description.

My Advice

Ask your professor early whether they are comfortable writing one general, reusable letter versus tailoring it per application, and set up a dossier account like Interfolio the moment they agree, since it saves both of you enormous back and forth later. Whenever a company reaches out to your reference directly, send a quick heads up first so your professor is never caught off guard.