Blog Archive Admissions Myths Destroyed Title Trumps All!

Blog Archive Admissions Myths Destroyed Title Trumps All! mbaMission  hosts a weekly blog series, “Admissions Myths Destroyed,”  for our friends at  Beat the GMAT. Check out the BTG site for fresh material and ours for “reprints.” The following piece was penned by mbaMission Founder, Jeremy Shinewald: A few weeks ago, we tackled the myth that you must know alumni to get into top MBA programs (See Alumni Get You In!). Without rehashing that argument, a myth that is somewhat similar in that it pertains to who you know instead of who you are is that your recommendation must be written by someone with a flashy title. Each year, many candidates will either persuade someone outside their workplace (a Congressman for example) or an insider who does not know their work all that well (a Managing Director or CEO) to write on their behalf. Unfortunately, when you have someone who depends on his/her title and not on actual knowledge of you, and thus writes a vague letter, the admissions committee will not get to know you, which undermines the very purpose of those letters. Even if you can educate someone far above you in the corporate hierarchy about your achievements and he/she can write a personal letter, it still will not make sense that a CEO, for example, knows what you, one of hundreds of analysts is doing , on a day in day out basis. So, the intimacy of this individual’s letter just might seem to be absurd. (Of course, if your CEO does actually know you and can write a personal letter that makes a logical connection between your position and his, it should be helpful.) Instead of merely seeking a title, you should identify an individual who knows you well and can write about your strengths and even your weaknesses with sincerity. If your supervisor has an unspectacular title, it will not reflect on you. What will reflect on you is what he/she writes. If he/she can discuss your performance with powerful examples of standout achievement, then he/she will help you to the fullest. Share ThisTweet Admissions Myths Destroyed Blog Archive Admissions Myths Destroyed Title Trumps All! In the past, we have tackled the myth that you must know alumni of top MBA programs to gain acceptance into those schools. Without rehashing that argument, a myth that is somewhat similarâ€"in that it pertains to who you know instead of who you areâ€"is that your recommendation must be written by someone with a flashy title. Each year, many candidates will persuade either someone outside their workplace (a congressman, for example) or an insider who does not know their work all that well (e.g., a managing director or CEO) to write on their behalf. Unfortunately, when you obtain a recommendation from someone who depends on his/her title and not on actual knowledge of you when writing this important letter, the result is a vague endorsement. Consequently, the admissions committee will not get to know youâ€"and this undermines the very purpose of recommendations. Even if you can educate someone far above you in the corporate hierarchy about your achievements and he/she can write a seemingly personal letter, it still will not make sense that a CEO, for example, knows what youâ€"one of hundreds of analystsâ€"is doing on a daily basis. So the intimacy of this individual’s letter just might seem absurd. Of course, if your CEO does actually know you and can write a personal letter that makes a logical connection between your position and his/hers, it should be helpful. Instead of merely seeking a title when considering possible sources for your recommendations, you should identify an individual who knows you well and can write about your strengths and even your weaknesses with sincerity. If your supervisor has an unspectacular title, it will not reflect negatively on you;what will matter is what he/she writes. If that person can discuss your performance while providingpowerful examples of standout achievements, then he/she will help you to the fullest. Share ThisTweet Admissions Myths Destroyed