Smartly getting recos from current Manager

Question

I hav a slight issue at hand. I want to get out a reco from my current manager whom i hav worked with extensively. At the same time, I dont want him to know this thing so well in advance that I wud be leaving by next june as April appraisal is at stake!!!!

Now i know without letting him know this, i cant get it done but can anyone suggest some tricks of getting it done smartly ... also have anyone else faced similar situation???? How you went about doing it??

marymary · Answer

Unfortunately there's no way to get around it, either you have your supervisor write you a rec in a timely manner before your job evaluation, or you have other supervisors write you a recommendation and note in your application that you felt that it not feasible for you to get your current supervisor to write you a rec. However, if you would be leaving by June I'm not sure why you are so concerned with your job eval in April, if you think you will be halfway out the door by then!

ex21 · Answer

yeah i thought about that a while. i thought about pretending i was going part time and i could use it to all schools. there are two issues with this: Some schools require a specific recommendation matrix (how would i explain part time at chicago if i live in philadelphia?) and eventually they are going to find out so why not be honest and see if they will help. I am currently going down this route...

Dawgie · Answer

How important is it to have a recommendation from your immediate and most current supervisor?

ex21 · Answer

most schools allow you to explain why you cannot get it from current supervisior. It might be best to try to identify someone who can speak about your current work though. I am in accounting so report to a plant GM and corporate Finance. I cannot go to finance for a reco so i am going to my GM to speak about my day to day and potential and a marketting person to speak about my teamwork etc. I will have to tell finance eventually but right now they are in process of trying to promote me so I will not do that now. Maybe next year when I apply to more schools if i have to i will just admit and ask for a reco, if they refuse just go with what i have.

shaselai · Answer

first of all do you have to use him or there is a tech lead or supervisor you can use instead? Also, how well do you know the manager personally and what are his habits? My manager for example gossips a lot so i never asked him. Luckily i had multiple supervisors so i used one of them instead.

3underscore · Answer

I think a current colleague / supervisor is a lot more important than people like to imagine. I also think that the excuse of lacking the confidence to ask your manager really doesn't sit well. If you are a consultant on a shifting team or in a family business, fine - it obviously has a problem or a conflict. The job security thing.... I remain entirely unconvinced. Most managers would be way happier than you may well imagine to provide support and recommendations to you furthering your career. They have been around long enough to expect people to move on, and treating them with dignity and respect through things moves you up in their estimations. Sure, it is an issue in the near future, but they also feel quite proud that they were involved in you aiming for such aspirations.

Just ask, and allow them enough time it isn't a stress to complete the recommendations.

Just ask, and allow them enough time it isn't a stress to complete the recommendations.

FatRiverPuff · Answer

Would it make sense to get a recommendation from your business partner? Think Ben getting a rec from Jerry?

admad10 · Answer

well i do hav a colleague who too reports to my manager but then my manager is the person i hav worked on almost all my projects with...for all the projs that i hav handled he was the one tracking my progress and knows my work inside out... so his reco would be most ideal!!!

n he is no gossipy type.. he is gud good...

shaselai · Answer

it is a risk you gotta take. Even with my other supervisor i was "forced" to ask her because my other rec was just plain lazy...turned out she is very enthusiastic and says the best thing an application wants to hear - " rec done, send me next!". If you think your manager is a good dude then try it especially he seems to be the person who knows you the best as well (my manager just signed time cards....)

Adventure79 · Answer

I think you just need to tell your manager honestly so that he can really help you with good recommendation. Having said that you are the best judge of your boss and believe you can guess whether your appraisal at stake or not after that. Think about the consequences if your appraisal at stake. Will that affect your future career ? I don't really think so. Think also about the consequences if your appraisal not at stake ? You will get the proper recommendation and you still maintains good relationship with your current manager in the future

Michmax3 · Answer

I had this same concern, especially since I don't necessarily work in a field where it is expected you will get an mba. I just talked to both my supervisors last week and it went well. This is pretty much exactly what I said "I've wanted to go back to school and had been thinking about ASU (my undergrad and local university) part-time mba and most likely that is where I would still go, however as I've been researching further, I think I may actually have some shot at a top 10 school. I know it's only like a 15% acceptance rate and it's a long-shot, but I figured I owed it to myself to at least try for an amazing opportunity. I really do love working here and of course wouldn't leave unless it was for a once in a lifetime opportunity that I just couldn't pass up, that's why I'm only applying to ASU and a few very top programs. This is something I'm really excited about and hoping you would help support me by giving me your recommendation. This wouldn't be until a year from now if I got accepted, and I would know either way long before that, so of course you would have plenty of notice of my plans."

admad10 · Answer

wow.. that was one killer approach!!!
quiet liked it... might try something on that line...

shaselai · Answer

when are you applying? you might need to ask for rec soon>

admad10 · Answer

hey thanks for concern.. but me applying in R2...so i can very well ask for it by Nov start...

Smartly getting recos from current Manager

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