Letter of Recommendation Dilemma

Question

I have been working in Singapore for the past 3 years in a research organization. Prior to it, I was working in India(2015-2016) before coming to Singapore for doing my master's. Initially, I have asked my Research program director to write a stellar recommendation letter for me. He said ok forward me the link. I will fill up. I was happy. Yesterday, I had given his name in INSEAD and LBS as his first recommender name.

However, when I checked today with him. He says that the LOR application is too long and he said that try to catch some else to fill up this form. By the way, he is my reporting manager for the past 3 years. He was not in the mood to fill up the LOR application. He said to try to catch some other senior person from the group, not me. He totally flipped today and I felt really very disappointed. However, when I made my face like a crying face than he said alright. He will meet me in the evening and discuss it. I don't think that will happen. When I said you can fill the form on weekends or on weekdays till Friday. Then he said ok, he will try to fill up. Due to this incident, it seems like that I am forcing him to write my LOR. From his heart and mind, he is not ready. what to do.

Though one LOR I would be getting from my indirect supervisor, who is acting like my technical team manager.

Please Note:- I am working on an academics research side and we don't have a big team and multiple managers. With whom I would be working earlier. I have very few options in my hand for LOR. Currently, only 2 people were there in my list from my current organization. One is my direct reporting manager and one is my indirect supervisor.

However, When I was working in (2015-2016) then that time there was one of my managers, who was working with me as my direct supervisor and he is ready to give me a stellar recommendation letter. But, I left my Indian company 5 years ago. So, what to do now?? I have asked different people and all are giving me different answers. Somebody, telling don't take LOR from a 5-year-old employer because I only worked with them for 1 year and also I left 5 years ago. So, it is been a long time. Somebody, telling that it's okay to take. Now, the thing is LBS and INSEAD R1 deadline is 2 weeks apart and I am done with my essays, resume, and my GMAT. I am now kind of stuck at the LOR stage.

What to do now? I am feeling anxious and worry.

Kindly, help me with this matter.

mbaMissionJA · Answer

Hi Prateek, I am not sure what you are asking. Do you mean your ex EMPLOYER from 2015-16? (You say employee but then you say this person was your manager.) Employer- Yes. You want someone you reported to who can speak with authority about your leadership and accomplishments, and former employers are fine if they have good stories to tell. When you say there are not many stories to be written by 2 people, what do you mean - are you saying that your current employer's options would repeat each other? Then yes it could be wise to get a different recommender with other stories. But don't forget that you can be strategic about what your current job's folks do in the rec - one might talk to your leadership, another to your teamwork skills, etc. Or one could focus on one project and another a different one.

Good luck, hope this is helpful!
Julie-Anne

Good luck, hope this is helpful!
Julie-Anne

Letter of Recommendation Dilemma

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