Letters of Recommendation - Same Company

Question

What's everyone's thoughts about using two people from the same company in order to get my letters of rec? I have only significant experience working at the one company and could get letters from a couple of people at my firm quite easily although they are all my direct manager, managing director, SVP. My work is silo'd and we do not have too much exposure to other areas where I would feel comfortable asking them for recs.

My other option would be to pursue a rec from and extra curricular activity but I am not sure how well that would hold up as it doesn't pertain to a large charity organization or even something that structured that it would resonate (I essentially help coach a women's & kids sports team and could get a good rec from the chairwoman of the club). Would this be stronger than two good recs from the same company and potentially the same department?

SiaAdmissions · Answer

Hi  Marger ,

Great question! If your primary work experience has been in the same company, and the recommenders you solicit can speak to different projects they've supervised you on, then it's perfectly fine to use recommenders from the same company. Again, they should be able to speak to their experience managing you and provide concrete examples.  This article  may help in this process. Also, I recommend you include a bullet/sentence in the options essay that addresses why you made the choice.

I am happy to continue the conversation. If interested, please  reach out .

Good luck!

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Hey Marger, It's generally ok to use two people from the same organization, granted they can provide slightly different insight into your work product and leadership capabilities. I would have a conversation with the chairwoman of the club and see how she feels about vouching for you, since a glowing rec can paint a different side of your personality if you are worried that the two recs from your work won't be dissimilar. For more guidance on the letter of recommendation process, feel free to take a look here, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out! https://www.personalmbacoach.com/single ... hoose-from Regards,

JatinBhandari1 · Answer

The letters of recommendation are supposed to highlight your professional capacity. People who get recommendations from recommenders outside their current company generally do so because they can’t receive a glowing recommendation from a supervisor in their own company.
Thus, if you have two immediate supervisors that can each provide a unique insight into your professional acumen, I would say go with that. 
No matter who you choose to write your recommendation letter, you need to be sure of two things before selecting them:
1. They can speak about you in a professional setting and can elaborate on your professional maturity.
2. They understand the value of an MBA for you and are willing to spend the required time writing a good recommendation letter to you.
If the people in your current company seem disinterested in giving you a detailed and well-thought-out recommendation letter, I would suggest asking the Chairwoman of the club you worked for and discern whether she would be able to do the same. 
Try to get your current immediate supervisors to write you a glowing recommendation but keep these two conditions in mind as you make the final decision on your recommenders.

Letters of Recommendation - Same Company

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