Recommendation from a supervisor

It rather depends on how important the recommendation is to you.

If you need it, you need to stay on. If not, then you've no need to stay on for a year.

Others may disagree, but thats my 2 cents,

Regardless if your a valuable asset to their team, thats a pretty whack policy of not writing letters of recommendation.

If anything, they should be happy that your continuing your education.

But like someone above you said, if you don't need the letter from them, then get it somewhere else

Thanks for replying guys :)

John, you are spot on with #1, I do believe there are better opportunities elsewhere and I don't want to stay another year.

Do you mind giving me a little more detail on #2? (Either here or by PM) I haven't considered my colleagues, although that actually may be better than a letter from a former supervisor. A lot of my application depends on my experience, and a colleague could be someone who at least validated that I did what I say I did.

How you go about #2 depends on the directions given for the recommendation letters. If they are just asking for generic letters of recommendation, you just need somebody who's worked with you to verify your work experience and vouch for you by saying some positive things.

"Who should recommendations come from? The Admissions Board suggests that of the three recommendations, two come from professional references.  Of these two, one recommendation should come from a current or recent supervisor. Recommenders should be individuals who know the candidate well and who can attest to the candidate's leadership ability."

I'm getting one from my mentor, another from my business partner, and I was planning for the third to be from the current supervisor; since I don't have another "recent" supervisor - the supervisor before this is from 3 years ago and also from a company that doesn't give recommendations (it is a fairly common policy in O&G, especially among private companies) plus it was part time internship, and the one before that is also an internship supervisor from 4 years ago.

With the co-worker I'm wondering about how to feel it out without management finding out I'm dead-set on moving on and trying to go around them. Should I prepare and reach out to one of the recruiters that have contacted me in the past and see about setting up some groundwork for possibly having to interview after a step like that?

The thing that sucks the worst is that starting with a year ago I was getting bombarded by the recruiters and I stayed on, figuring out that the potential 5-10 % pay raise wasn't worth sacrificing recs and good professional equity.

I would leave immediately. If they won't take a bit to write you a good rec (with the potential reward of hiring you back as a newly minted-MBA with a solid knowledge of the firm) then they clearly have no interest in developing your career at this stage in your life, its all about exit opps, and this firm is killing yours

Monkey, how would leaving right now benefit me? That's kinda what I feel like doing because I'm pissed, but I don't want to shoot myself in a foot by reacting emotionally instead of finding the best way to handle the sitch.

I am toying with the idea of leveraging my position - i.e. another promotion or 2, maybe something in writing

A year of your life for a fucking recommendation ? I say no unless it comes with a significant pay raise.

I'd just thank them for the offer to stay but let them know that going back to b-school is what you'd like to do at this point in your career.

Then, ask them again if they'd be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. Tell them you would really appreciate it (make them feel a little bit guilty about saying no). If they say no, then find someone else you trust to write a good letter. Not having a supervisor letter is not going to doom your admission - you can just explain they don't write letters of recommendation for anyone. I really think you are going to be just fine.