Asking for b-school recommendation 1 year into job?

Hi All,

I am currently a 2nd year Analyst at a top BB in the Treasury dept. in NY and am looking to enroll in b-school fall 2020 and thus start applying fall of next year (2019). I am currently shopping around for my next gig and hope to start by this summer. I've been asked to stay on as an Associate and know I could get great recommendations from my current VP and MD if i do so. My concern is when I switch to a new job, I will essentially need to ask my new team for recommendations a year into the role and they will know that i will be leaving in another year

Now I know this is a fairly common occurrence - 2+2 > MBA, but I am not in the IBD/ PE space. Should I mention that I intend to go to b school in 2 years in the interviews? Has anyone asked for recs from people they've only known a year? Any advice would be appreciated

8 Comments
 

I wouldn't mention you plan to attend bschool in 2 years while interviewing especially if's not one of the "typical" 2+2 pre-MBA jobs (i.e. IB, PE, Consulting). I honestly don't think asking for a rec after ~1yr is a big deal.

There's bschool students who were in their last jobs less than 2 years which implies that they probably asked for a LoR even before the 1 year mark.

 
Best Response

Haha definitely don't mention that you are planning on quitting in 2 years as you are interviewing with other companies.

As for the other question, I did something similar and worked at my last company for 1.5-2 years before leaving for my MBA. I had a mentor from this most recent company write one recommendation, and then a boss from my previous company who I had known longer wrote my second.

Also, I was very careful who I told about my MBA decision. While some people will obviously be supportive, you don't want to get passed over for promotions/new opportunities at your current company because your bosses know you are applying to business school and are leaving in a year. I told the one person who wrote my recommendation letter and asked him to keep it between us, and then let everyone else know when I was ready to quit. Others handle it differently, but just try to get a feel for your company culture before telling everyone.

 

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