What if I Cannot Ask My Direct Supervisor for a Rec?

What if I Cannot Ask My Direct Supervisor for a Rec?

There are many candidates who do not feel they can inform their direct supervisor that they are applying to business school because their direct supervisor might get upset that they will be losing a team member, because that direct supervisor does not value higher education, or even because that direct supervisor may become envious. It may also be the case that something has gone amiss in your work with that direct supervisor recently, or perhaps that you have not worked with that supervisor for long and you don’t believe they will be supportive in a recommendation. In any of these cases, candidates are concerned that the direct supervisor will not provide a strong endorsement for their candidacy and will evaluate them poorly in any MBA recommendation.

The good news is that admissions committees are used to receiving applications from candidates who are facing such challenges. Therefore, if you do not get a recommendation from a direct supervisor, you can still fare fine in the admissions process. You can often work around the fact that you do not have a recommendation from a direct supervisor. The committee wants to hear about how you perform from someone who has experience of this directly and will give a credible, objective assessment. It is often key, therefore, to get at least one recommendation from another professional in your company who is superior to you and interacts with you on projects relatively often and can therefore attest credibly to your performance.

If you choose someone who is your same level within the organization, often that is interpreted simply as the support of your friend, not as a recommendation that is providing an objective assessment of your abilities. If you choose a mentor who is not exposed directly to your work, this can also at times lack the needed credibility (although sometimes choosing one writer who is a mentor is okay, if the other recommendation writer is superior to you and works directly with you).

In most cases, it is best practice to try to secure a highly enthusiastic recommendation from a professional superior to you. Oftentimes, even a highly enthusiastic client can work.

Feel free to reach out to us at MBA Admit.com if you would like assistance in the MBA application process.

Best wishes,
Dr. Shel (Shelly Watts)
President, MBA Admit.com
https://www.mbaadmit.com
Email: info@mbaadmit.com