Hmmm...this is my second job after college. At my first job, I did very well, and I asked my bosses if they would write me LORs. Most of them said yes, but the catch was, I said I was considering attending grad school in a science the company could utilize. Hence, they were less apprehensive, as they thought I would stay. I am sure that my direct boss did not write me a good LOR, as he asked me why it said 'pre-health' on the request form, and I had to explain it to him.
In all honesty, good help is hard to find. Again, I bust my butt at work, and it shows. Bosses realize this, and they don't want workers with that mindset to go. It is in their WORST interest to write a good LOR, as it would make getting into med school easier, forcing me to quit the job. I have not told my bosses that I am applying to med school, and I feel guilty about it. This recent position change involves heavy training in complex equipment, and it is expensive to train (based on salary/pay of two employees). On the other hand, I realize that the company let go of people who didn't deserve to go, and then rehired. One guy just had a kid, and they fired him 3 days later (though there was some reason behind it, they could have worked around it). It is the way of the corporation...it is a money making machine, otherwise, it would not survive the fierce competition out there.
When looking for a job, I felt sooooo guilty when I was asked my career plans. I went on several interviews, and it boiled down to this. When asked what my career goals were: if I mentioned the words medical school, I got the 'we'll give you a call'...if I said I was not sure, or I have not made any moves yet, I got the job. I had not applied to medical school by the time of the interviews, so I was not lying or witholding information. I had not made any moves. It is like the whole thing with women getting hired. Many companies think twice b4 hiring newlywed women, as they fear maternity leave. You can argue all you want about it being unlawful, discrimination, etc., but that is looking at a theoretical world. In reality, corporations do discriminate. If they see any potential impediments to you doing the work required of you, you will not be hired. Especially in this market, they can just as easily move on to the next candidate. I was very very lucky to get my current job, and I like it a lot. It has great potential, and it is not a technician type position. The only problem is, becoming a physician is more important to me, and I am willing to take on the monetary loss (no pay while in med school).
