Letter of recommendation for grad school from my boss?

Question

I'm getting my letters of recommendation together now for grad school (which is a few years down the road) and I asked my boss (the CEO for a non-profit in the state of florida) for a letter of recommendation. he asked me to draft it for him and said he would sign it.

I'm trying to get into NYU to do environment-related study and I have no idea what to include in the letter. the non-profit I work for isnt environmental, but very well known, so I still want to include it (since this is also where I did my internship before they hired me full time). What do grad school want to see in letters of recommendation from employers? and also, if I get it now, will it hurt that the date on it will be two years old?

Thanks for any help :)

Answer 1

A graduate school wants to know if you are capable of doing graduate level coursework.  A boss is not likely to know that.  Try to get letters from former professors who can judge your work.

Answer 2

I would not recommend writing (or "drafting") the recommendation yourself. First of all, it won't sound sincere, secondly it will be in your own voice, which the college might pick up on if they have other essays/ writings from you, and thirdly, it's somewhat unethical (similar to plagiarism, even if approved by him). If he's a CEO of a company, I'm sure he's written job recommendations before, and it's not much different writing for the university, esp because he IS your boss and not your professor. Generally, it's better to get recommendations from your professors before looking to employers, but since you completed your (undergraduate?) internship there, then it's a little more relevant.

If your company hired other college interns, then your boss has a frame of reference to compare you to and can praise how you stood out from the rest of them and what special abilities you possess and then go on to say how you were so great, he hired you and has seen you grow in xyz and bring xyz to the company, etc. It's ok that you're not working in an environmental field, there are still qualities (leadership, ambition, teachability, self-improvement) that would be important to any graduate studies program. See the sources below for more ideas of what to include in the recommendation.

Instead of drafting a full letter for him, give him a few bullet points of what is generally included in a graduate recommendation letter and let him do the writing. You could ask him to touch on points like:

-Highlight specific skills which you have developed

-Round out your personality by providing additional information about your interpersonal style, motivation, or special qualities

-Highlight your potential for success in your chosen field

-Describe your passion and drive

-Describe what makes you stand out as an employee and highlight your successes

etc. If he needs more info, offer to meet with him and discuss whatever holes there are, and give him a copy of your resume, personal statement for the university, etc.

When he is finished, he should keep a copy of the recommendation on file so it will be ready to go if you need it in the future (it might be smart to have a copy of the file yourself as backup). He could then change the date, sign, and mail it. The recommender, not you, should keep and send the recommendation letter himself. It really should not go through your hands at all.

Good luck!

P.S. If he refuses to write it himself, ask another coworker to write it for him to "sign off" on, or better yet, find a better recommender (other supervisor, professor, etc) who actually wants to help you.