Question for MBA/Business School Grads - Letter of Recommendation

[Pilot Jones]

I'm currently applying for a few MBA & International Management post-grad programs and most of them require 2 Letters of Recommendation, with at least one coming from a current employer.

The thing is, since I finished my Undergraduate Degree, I've only had one employer before I launched my own start-up that has been running very successfully for the past 3 years and counting. So while I have been able to procure a really solid letter of recommendation from my one previous employer, I'm in a bit of a fix for the 2nd one, since I've been self-employed.

I didn't want to spill the beans entirely so I did dance around the question a bit when contacting one of these universities and they were adamant that I require 2 letters of recommendation for my application to be considered valid in the first place.

To anyone who has already gone to or is currently in Business School, do you have any advice on what I can do for the 2nd letter of recommendation?

 

[Alphaized]

That’s definitely a conundrum.

What I would do if I were in your situation, you received one letter of recommendation from a previous employer, (I’m not sure who wrote that letter), but if there is another source or person with the same previous employer that could also write a letter based off your merit. Even though both letters will be from the same employer, it’s two different people that can attest to your work ethic and overall moral character. And then, when you submit those letters of recommendations, I would also submit a personal note just explaining why two letters from the same company and that you’ve only had one prior employer.

As a matter fact, I’ve had the same scenario in the past, and it’s been sufficient for future employers. However, obviously, every situation is variable. But what also helped me, was with my future employer, met me in person multiple times, where they liked me enough based off what I sold to them, where my personality easily matched my letter(s) of recommendation. Again, every employer will have different viewpoints on that.

 

[maflynn]

I'm in a bit of a fix for the 2nd one, since I've been self-employed.

Write your own?

I mean technically you're fulfilling the requirements and its clear they've not considered the prospect of candidates running their own business.

You contacted the university on this, but did you try reaching out the dean and seeing if attacking it from that direction is fruitful.

Edit: what I mean by writing your own, I mean being completely honest, and tout the fact that you have your own business. Promote yourself from that perspective and how it could be beneficial for you and the university to be accepted since you have a business

 

[TechRunner]

I would think a letter of recommendation from your best client would be acceptable. Also, if you haven't been out of college for more than five years, a letter from one of your professors would work too (I've done this; got one from a grad school prof about four years after I left. He was glad to do it. Guess I left a lasting impression ).

 

[Herdfan]

To anyone who has already gone to or is currently in Business School, do you have any advice on what I can do for the 2nd letter of recommendation?

Professor? When I did my MBA there were a couple of professors I worked really closely with on a research project so I know I could have gotten a good one from either one of them.

 

[Pilot Jones]

I would think a letter of recommendation from your best client would be acceptable. Also, if you haven't been out of college for more than five years, a letter from one of your professors would work too (I've done this; got one from a grad school prof about four years after I left. He was glad to do it. Guess I left a lasting impression ).

Professor? When I did my MBA there were a couple of professors I worked really closely with on a research project so I know I could have gotten a good one from either one of them.

Unfortunately most of the programs I'm applying to specify that they don't want any academic recommendations, only a professional one. If I could get one from a professor, that would actually be amazingly convenient, but only a small handful of them are accepting them for some reason.

although @TechRunner your idea of getting a recommendation from a client is not a bad idea. There are a few other people recommending that online so that seems to be a potentially strong option at the moment.

 

[Pilot Jones]

Write your own?

I mean technically you're fulfilling the requirements and its clear they've not considered the prospect of candidates running their own business.

You contacted the university on this, but did you try reaching out the dean and seeing if attacking it from that direction is fruitful.

Edit: what I mean by writing your own, I mean being completely honest, and tout the fact that you have your own business. Promote yourself from that perspective and how it could be beneficial for you and the university to be accepted since you have a business

Generally I've seen that writing your own recommendation is a major no-no, Stanford actually actively mentions that saying it's absolutely not acceptable. I'm not against that at all though so I might look into doing that on a school-by-school basis.

I do like your idea of contacting the dean though, just to try and get absolute clarity from the highest authority. Can't go wrong after that.

 

[Pilot Jones]

That’s definitely a conundrum.

What I would do if I were in your situation, you received one letter of recommendation from a previous employer, (I’m not sure who wrote that letter), but if there is another source or person with the same previous employer that could also write a letter based off your merit. Even though both letters will be from the same employer, it’s two different people that can attest to your work ethic and overall moral character. And then, when you submit those letters of recommendations, I would also submit a personal note just explaining why two letters from the same company and that you’ve only had one prior employer.

As a matter fact, I’ve had the same scenario in the past, and it’s been sufficient for future employers. However, obviously, every situation is variable. But what also helped me, was with my future employer, met me in person multiple times, where they liked me enough based off what I sold to them, where my personality easily matched my letter(s) of recommendation. Again, every employer will have different viewpoints on that.

That's honestly quite a good idea, but my previous employer wasn't that big a company. What you're suggesting would be incredible if I worked at a major corporation or firm though. The departments weren't disparate enough to have absolute compartmentalisation from each other so they'll probably end up saying very similar things.

You did a smart thing in this situation by actively meeting with your future employer. I'm sure that more than made up for the specific situation you were in. Really happy to hear that you made it work so smoothly!

 

[KaliYoni]

any advice on what I can do for the 2nd letter of recommendation?

I earned an MBA (2-year, full time) and was a member of the Admissions Committee at a well known business school. You didn't mention which schools or specific degree programs you are applying to, but here is some advice for applying to graduate business programs based on my experiences:

General advice

• Applications are considered holistically. By this I mean your career objectives, work experience, essays, test scores, recommendations, and undergraduate record all contribute to an overall picture of your candidacy.
• In the majority of cases, the most effective recommendations come from people who know the candidate well, offer specific examples when answering the questions on the recommendation form, and do not contradict anything in the rest of the application.
• A recommendation from a person who is a recent graduate of the school, say, within the last ten years or so, and is familiar with the career arc and/or personal traits you are highlighting in your application, can be a significant positive for your application. Why? A recent alumnus can discuss both how you will be a good fit for a specific school's culture and how your experience and goals can contribute to the composition of an incoming class.
• The most common ineffective recommendations include recommenders who were chosen solely for name recognition or celebrity status, recommenders who do not know the applicant very well, and recommenders who are inappropriate in the context of applying to a graduate business school program.

Specific advice

• I wouldn't worry about letting a school know you are self-employed, especially if the school is known for its entrepreneurial courses or research.
• Even if schools did allow self-recommendations, they wouldn't add much because every other part of an application is already about the applicant, by the applicant.
• I would try to contact a Dean of Admissions only as a last resort unless you have some sort of personal connection. However, most admissions staffers, including those who evaluate applications, are happy to speak to applicants both during and after the application process. After all, part of their job is to market the school to applicants!
• People reading and evaluating applications know that the type of recommendations a self-employed person can offer will differ from people coming from large organizations. So, a recommendation from a vendor, a customer, a professional mentor, or a professional peer can be powerful. The key thing here is professional. Personal and academic recommendations aren't the best choices in most cases.