Many people forget how important the letter of recommendation is. You should often start 4-8 weeks in advance to ask recommenders and often times you’ve been working on buidling your reputation with them for years!. The best recommenders are going to be those that will first and foremost give you a glowing recommendation. So if you are having a difficult time deciding, just make sure that you chose someone that will at least take the time necessary to toot-your-horn a bit. You want them to tell the Adcoms that you are the best they've ever seen, that the school would be silly to turn you down.
Assuming that you have many options, all of which will give you that raving review, how do you decide? Here is how to rank recommenders from Best to Worst.
BEST:1. Current Supervisor or BossIt's always going to be the best choice to choose a person that knows your work product inside and out. So if you can swing it with your supervisor, then this is the best route to go. Just make sure that asking your boss won't jeopardize your job.
2. Your Bosses BossIf you can't get your direct supervisor or think your Bosses Boss will be better, there is no reason not to give them a shot. They will obviously be familiar with your work product!
3. Previous BossAs you can see, having a supervisor vouche for you is really great in the recommendation process. If you are worried about asking your current bosses, then it might be time to reach out to an old boss for that letter. This is why it is so important to keep strong relationships even after leaving your previous job.
4. President or Supervisor over you in an Extracurricular (EC) roleExtracurriculars can pay off by not only getting you that great experience, leadership, or bonus points on your application, but they can also pay big dividends on the recommendations. If you have strong EC work, then that recommendation becomes that much stronger. Make sure that the person you ask is more of a superior than a pier.
MEDIOCRE:1. Previous TeacherIf you are a younger applicant without much work experience (less than 2-3 years) then a you may not have strong enough connections or appropriate persons to ask. It might benefit you to think back to that teacher that really had an impact on you in college. If you were able to build a strong enough relationship, they might be willing to give you that raving review. They will not be as good as a current employer b/c they will not be familiar with your work product as much as a supervisor
2. PierOften times people look to their piers for recommendations. This would include anyone that is close to your same level at your current or previous job and has never been your direct supervisor. The recommendation do not hold as much weight as a supervisor b/c often times an Adcom would just assume that you chose a friend. So this would not be the ideal candidate for a recommendation, but they would still be able to give a strong opinion about your work experience
WORST:1. Mom, Dad, or any family memberThere is absolutely no time, reason, or way that you should chose your mom or dad for a recommendation. Even in cases where your mom or dad is your boss, or you work with the family business, there is NO time when mom or dad should be writing you a rec. letter. Their opinion of you will hold no weight in the Adcoms eyes b/c you mom or dad can not be unbiased in your opinion.
2. Someone you don’t know that wellSo you know someone that will give you a rec. letter if you ask. They are that long time family friend, or someone you knew as a child, or someone that would definitely say yes when you asked. He/she is in a great position, so it seems like the perfect fit. NOOO, this isn’t a perfect fit. Often times there are recommenders that won’t say no, but when it comes right down to it, their opinion will not hold weight b/c you have never worked with them. Don’t get sucked into the “easy” recommendation. It might be easy to ask them, but it won’t necessarily pay off those huge dividends.
3. Someone that you don’t trust, is too busy, or never on-timeSome people are just flat out too busy to write rec. letters. Don’t let someone that is in a rush hurt your chances at Bschool. If you don’t trust their ability to manage their time, get you a rec. letter by the deadline, or you just know it will be the last thing on their plate, don’t ask them. It just isn’t worth it. I’ve seen so many individuals hurt by their recommenders, and sweating if they will turn it in on time. The heartache is not worth it!
Conslusion:The recommender is a key part of your application. Don’t look past it, and make sure to START EARLY to get the best people on your side. Become familiar with how your school will ask the recommenders the right questions, and make sure to coach them so that they will paint you as the perfect candidate. Best of luck in your applications, and keep up all the hard work! It will all pay off
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20 Mar 2012, 09:22
