Letter of recommendation

Question

Hello,

I have worked for 3 companies since graduation. 
1) A consulting firm for few months, one of the big 4 firms
2) The client I worked for as a consultant at the big4, than I joined after few month 
3) My current company

All those jobs were in Europe (France)

I'm thinking about asking a direct supervisor from the client company + the direct supervisor at the big four company. Is it ok or should I pick someone else?

I can't ask my current supervisor because of many things:
- He hates all what's anglo-saxon
- He doesn't really care about my personal goals
- He will only panic and start the hiring process to replace me (and eventually once he finds the candidate, fire me)
(Bosses like that are not that unusual in France ...)

I work under him and only him. We work with lenders/banks but I can't trust any of them as they're all friends with my boss
I can't trust a collegue either (OR I could find a collegue that I don't really work with, but in that case I don't think it's a good idea to ask him/her)
There is one person, a manager who've also worked under my boss (not the same team though) who resigned few months ago. I could trust her with that but we haven't really worked together that much

Any suggestions for me? Should I go for the 2 previous supervisors or I MUST have someone from my current company?

Many thanks,

Admissionado · Answer

prepgmat95 : Q: I'm thinking about asking a direct supervisor from the client company + the direct supervisor at the big four company. Is it ok or should I pick someone else? A: Yes, that seems like your best option. Trust is an incredibly important factor when asking for these letters. You need to identify people who are loyal and supportive. You also do not want to jeopardize your current role in case you do not get into a program and are compelled to stay at your current job. Your descriptions are real and common. You also do not need someone from your current company. Yes, in a perfect world the schools would prefer a supervisor/manager at your current job but it won't be held against you if that is not possible. The schools recognize that that might not be an option, especially if a supervisor or a company in general is not typically supportive of people leaving to pursue other avenues including graduate school. To be safe, you may want to describe in the optional essay for each school why you selected the people you mentioned to serve as your recommenders. It is not necessary, but it's a smart tactic to clarify this context as a "just in case." Be brief and do not come off as if you are making excuses! Good luck and let us know if you need help with your letters of recommendation. This is also a helpful and inexpensive resource: https://admissionado.com/blog/resources ... mendation/ Best, Admissionado

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Hello prepgmat95 , One of the most important deciding factors should be whether your recommenders are familiar with your work, your character, your strengths, your weaknesses and your career aspirations. While the general advice is to select professional supervisors to write your letters of recommendation, there are some exceptions to this rule. If you have taken a considerable role in an activity outside of work, such as a leadership role in a sizable charitable organization, you might consider asking a colleague/supervisor in this organization to write on your behalf. If you devote a considerable amount of time to this activity, particularly if it requires strong leadership, this person should know you well and be positioned to write a strong MBA letter of recommendation. Further, they will be able to provide a different perspective on your candidacy. In your position, you may want to think about a non-professional reference, though of course it would be beneficial to learn a bit more about your situation. Letter of recommendation support is a key component to Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive services . Feel free to send a note to scott@personalmbacoach.com to learn how we can provide you with personalized guidance for selecting and preparing your recommenders. Regards, Personal MBA Coach

prepgmat95 · Answer

Dear Admissionado and PersonalMBACoach, 
Thank you both for your feedback. It seems to be indeed my best option. I've done some brainstorming and I'm still hesitating for the second letter between the supervisor from the big four company and the other manager that left my current company a few months ago. My experience at the big four company was not that long: roughly 6 months, and I was already working with the client at that time (the same client I joined afterward) whereas the manager I'm talking about was part of my current team for 2 years and can speak of some of our common recent projects (such as dealing with covid challenges, etc.), even if she was not a direct supervisor as she too used to report to my boss. She's still the only person who has worked with me at my current company that I can trust with this request.
Unfortunately, I have strong ECs but not ones involving supervision, I'm a mentor at an organization so I mentor some students, play piano, etc. 
One last thing, the manager has way more seniority than the recommender from the big four who is maybe 3/4 years older than me only. The only issue I can see with the manager is that she has already left the company, but I couldn't have asked her anyway if this was not the case.

Should I go with the manager or the previous supervisor from the big four? Is it really an issue that she's no longer part of my company? 
On the other hand, I was considering an LoR from the big four to show that even if I had left consulting pretty early to join a client, I've managed to achieve some things there and that it was my choice to quit consulting (Truth is I was a bit disappointed with consulting, I've told my partners and we decided to end the trial period, I was happier working as a full-time employee rather than as a consultant frequently changing missions, so that's when I came across an opportunity at my client company) Maybe adding an additional letter would help?

Curious to know your thoughts about that
Many thanks!!

Admissionado · Answer

prepgmat95 :

Q: Should I go with the manager or the previous supervisor from the big four? Is it really an issue that she's no longer part of my company?

A: Yes, that would be a good pick. There is no issue that she is no longer part of my company. What matters is that she can speak to your shared time at the company. People move around professionally more than they ever do and it's not realistic to assume everyone's recommenders will be in the same place as they were when you worked with them.

Q: Maybe adding an additional letter would help?

A: Be careful. This is usually frowned upon by most of the AdComs. Unless there is a legitimate reason as to why you need to include an extra recommendation letter, I would stick to the application instructions. Indecision does not qualify as such a reason. I would save that letter if somehow you found yourself on a waitlist next year.

Another thought is that you can ask your recommenders if they would be comfortable writing these letters. Some may be busy or not be as inclined to do so. Since you have conceivable backups, I wouldn't dwell on this decision much longer and start reaching out. This way you know where you stand.

Good luck!

-Admissionado

Letter of recommendation

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