Recommendation Help

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I am contemplating about whether or not to ask for a recommendation from my former employer. I am certain that he would give me a good rec but the only hang up is that he is a family member (Uncle). This was 3 years of my life and I feel like I need to have someone vouch for my work, but I am skeptical about having my uncle write a letter of recommendation. This was a small company and there is no one else available at the company who could write the rec.

Additionally, I am wondering about getting a recommendation from the hospital where I volunteered. I worked in a level 1 trauma center as an ER volunteer. The only hang up here is that there was zero oversight. I have had minimal contact with the person who would be writing the recommendation - the volunteer coordinator.

I have plenty of recommendations but I was wondering about accounting for these real world experiences. Anyone have advise?

 

[gman33]

Does your uncle have the the same last name as you? If so, don't get the rec, if not, no one would ever know you are related unless you or he dicloses it.

Only get a LOR from the volunteer coordinator if it will be a strong letter. Maybe that person can get input from the people you did work with more closely.

 

[fireflygirl]

I agree with gman. The other thing to consider for the volunteer position at least is to do what a lot of people do with profs that they don't know - sit down with them and tell them about your goals and give them your resume. Talk to them about what you did or achieved - maybe write up a small blurb about your responsibilities as a volunteer and highlight some specifics. This may make them more comfortable about wirting it for you. Mind you, however, this may not be the strongest LOR in the bunch but it would attest to your clinical skills and interactions with patients. You may want to think about other people who could write more solid LORs for you.

 

[Blade28]

Agree with the above posts. Does he have the same last name as you? Is he a close uncle (i.e. is he your dad/mom's brother)?

If so, I wouldn't use it.