Boss from college job LOR?

[Superlax]

My first couple years of college, my GPA was considerably lower than that my final two years -- largely due to the fact that I worked a full-time and a part-time job throughout the first two.

Since my trend in grades is upward, do you think it's a good idea to have my boss write one of my LOR's? It's no grand job -- just a mom and pop type sporting goods store. But the owner I'm sure can give me a great, great rec as to my work ethic, and also to corroborate my working 60+ hours a week during the beginning of my undergrad.

I don't really see anything wrong with it, but just figured I'd check with the experts on here first.

Thanks in advance, guys.

[doode]

I would say if you can find someone else, then do so. If not just make sure you look it over before it goes? Maybe give him all your supporting info and let him know how you wnt it tailored? Is he fluent in his writing skills? LOR really need to focus on so many aspects of your abilities and since you cant submit a lot of them you gotta be pretty picky.

Who To Ask?
Most graduate programs require two or more letters of recommendation. Choosing your letter-writers often is difficult. Consider faculty members, administrators, internship/co-operative education supervisors, and employers. The persons you ask to write your letters should

know you well
know you long enough to write with authority
know your work
describe your work positively
have a high opinion of you
know where you are applying
know your educational and career goals
be able to favorably compare you with your peers
be well known
be able to write a good letter
Keep in mind that no one person will satisfy all of these criteria. Aim for a set of letters that cover the range of your skills. Ideally, letters should cover your academic and scholastic skills, research abilities and experiences, and applied experiences (e.g., co-operative education, internships, related work experience).

[Superlax]

Something I forgot to include:

He has basically told me to draft a copy and that he will send it out. Basically, I get the chance to draft my own LOR -- something I've been told you should always jump all over if given the chance.

[queencruella]

When you are still in UG, I think schools really want two academic LOR.  If you're in a situation where you can't find two professors who know you well enough to write more than a generic reference, then you may want to include the employer LOR.

[doode]

I agree queen. The reviewers might be like "hmmm.. no prof LOR's?" and on the zillion applications I've done some are pretty specific "if you are still in school or have graduated in x years one of your LOR's should be academic"

Super -- why dont you scrutinize your applications first? See if they have a page dedicated to work exp or if they want a personal statement on work etc. Get a feel for what’s sticking out as important on the apps.

Someone once told me that the letterhead and whats after the persons name is key in LOR's. Whether it be from a professor or a partner in a snazzy local firm. I belived that someone ... I hope it does the trick

[Superlax]

I would be including at least 2 academic LORs to go along with this one.

The fact that I worked so much (60 hr/wk) contributed to my lower GPA my first couple of years, so I figured that this sort of LOR would work far better than some mealymouthed addendum, you know?

By the way -- I would like to point out how awesome this is that even at 9AM on a Sunday I can log on and get answers to my questions within minutes. You guys are awesome!

[doode]

ADDENDUM!!

Absolutely addendum!! ADDENDUM ADDENDUM!!


I think the school would appreciate you taking the time (yourself) to explain the circumstance and generally you should be able to explain it better than the LOR.   Make sure you include you were working to support your education stuff in there. We all know how we feel about our apps and letters .. you will too once you start or if you have started read the apps over again and try to pick out keep points they are looking for and fancy yourself up that way.

And remember .. none of us are experts and you should never just take one persons advice .. get a collective opinion.

[queencruella]

I don't know that the LOR writer's name matters so much as the person actually knowing you. My recommenders were both employers (finished UG about 8 years ago) who were not famous, but I've known them both for years. I remember reading T. Stock's blogs about the bad references and how a person who knows you does so much more to help your case. Most applications will have a spot where you can put how many hours you worked if it's over a certain amount.

[doode]

But your assuming the people that know me well dont have pretty letterhead.

The people that wrote my LORs are extensions of my job. They are the attorneys I do work with as an adjuster. They've known me and my abilities for years.

When I heard "mom and pop" I just cringed thinking of a "pop" bent over a desk with a pencil trying to get a decent LOR out. I shouldn’t be judgmental. I am just remembering my app struggles.

[queencruella]

Not all of us know big and fancy lawyers. I've done fine in this process with my mom and pop recommenders. Some of us work for those type of businesses and there is nothing wrong with that. I probably got more opportunities working for a mom and pop than I did in the big corporations.