An LOR Conundrum - 工管

QUESTION:

It is OK to get two LORs from two different people at the same company? I
worked with them both on different projects so they will have different
things to say, but does it look bad coming from the same place? And if itˆs
a problem… who else can I ask? Iˆve been at the same company for 5 years…

ANSWER:

Who knew LORs could be so complicated, eh? When you think about it, how hard
is it to get two people to write glowing recommendations for you? But as youˆ
ve seen here, and weˆve seen countless times, itˆs not a simple as it seems.

Letˆs imagine things in an ideal world, shall we? In that perfect place, you
ˆd have two people from two different companies praising you for two
completely different jobs/roles/experiences. And that would be wonderful. Of
course, we donˆt live in a perfect world and in your world, where youˆve
worked at the same company for 5 years, that canˆt happen. So… what now?

Well, if you donˆt have a choice, you donˆt have a choice. Get those 2 LORs
from two people in the same company. Just make sure that they speak about you
in different capacities. What you DONˆT want is both guys talking about your
part in the same project, or even the same role you held in different
projects. You want them to highlight two DIFFERENT aspects of your candidacy
and abilities… otherwise, why not just have one letter, right?

If thatˆs not possible, and sometimes itˆs not, then you may want to think
outside of the office for your second LOR. Now, this isnˆt ideal – you are
applying to BUSINESS school, after all, so having 2 professional LORs is
always better – but sometimes things happen and you have to think outside
the box. So find someone who can speak about you from an extra-curricular, an
organization, or something thatˆs not your job. The key here, though, is to
have them highlight stories/experiences/stuff that would still impress a
b-school adcom: leadership experiences, management experiences, fundraising
projects for a non-profit that were successful. Think BUSINESS… not just
what a stellar guy or girl you are, or how fun you are to be around.

Now, just to make sure weˆre clear here, letˆs break it down nice and
simple:

Ideal: 2 LORs from 2 people in 2 different companies.
Next Best: 2 LORs from 2 people in the same company that can speak on 2
different things.
Last Resort: 2 LORs from 1 professional and 1 non-professional recommender.

Got it?
Great!

Good luck,
– Jon Frank
HBS 2005
http://www.precisionessay.com

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