My recommender got laid off!

[emoleys]

Someone that I had worked with closely at a non-profit has been my go-to person for recommendations. However, I just found out that she got laid off from her job. The program I'm applying to is asking for 2 academic and at least 1 profession. She was going to be my professional one, but now I'm a bit concerned. Would it still be good to ask her?

[sputnik]

I guess the fact that she's laid off today doesn't change the relationship that you had when you worked with/for her. So, I don't think it's that big of a deal. They are going to be more interested in your performance in the role that you had than whether she still has her position. With all the layoffs these days, it's probably more common than you think.

[newms]

I agree with sputnik as long as the person is well respected professionally. She can write about your work and your ability and as long as there wasn't anything negative about her with regard to her termination, then she should still be a good option to recommend you IMHO.

[emoleys]

I definitely need to elaborate on the situation a bit more.

My recommender also had a baby recently and is busy taking care of her. I've sent her more than 3 emails about the recommendation letter, and with the deadline coming up in early January, I'm thinking that she may not be the best person ask.

As a Plan B, I've asked my supervisor that I've been developing a close working relationship with over the past 3 months during an internship. I think my reservation, though, about asking this supervisor, is that the work that we're doing is with children who have special needs, especially those that have been traumatized by domestic violence. However, my area of interest is in human trafficking the area in which the 1st recommender used to work with me.

I'm positive that this supervisor will write a strong letter and will vouch for my abilities. In fact, considering the general situation and her personality, I think she might even write a better letter than the 1st recommender. But would it look better to adcoms if I keep pushing for the 1st recommender to send in a letter? I wrote a lot about my work in human trafficking in my SOP.

Unfortunately, I cannot ask both because of the limit on recommendation letters.

[Zimaleah501]

I have an old supervisor (and dear friend) of mine writing a letter for me - she has not worked in over a year and a half at all. I do not think it will affect things, particularly since her reason is being at a stage in her Stage IV breast cancer that she is hurting and sick all of the time. She mentioned briefly in the letter that she no longer worked there and why, in the beginning and then just wrote a really great letter about the time (2 years) that we did work together, and when she trained me. Being sick now doesn't change what happened in the past for her, so I doubt your person's circumstances should change yours, and the efficacy of the letter she writes you!

[emoleys]

Someone that I had worked with closely at a non-profit has been my go-to person for recommendations. However, I just found out that she got laid off from her job. The program I'm applying to is asking for 2 academic and at least 1 profession. She was going to be my professional one, but now I'm a bit concerned. Would it still be good to ask her?

I definitely need to elaborate on the situation a bit more.

My recommender also had a baby recently and is busy taking care of her. I've sent her more than 3 emails about the recommendation letter, and with the deadline coming up in early January, I'm thinking that she may not be the best person ask.

As a Plan B, I've asked my supervisor that I've been developing a close working relationship with over the past 3 months during an internship. I think my reservation, though, about asking this supervisor, is that the work that we're doing is with children who have special needs, especially those that have been traumatized by domestic violence. However, my area of interest is in human trafficking the area in which the 1st recommender used to work with me.

I'm positive that this supervisor will write a strong letter and will vouch for my abilities. In fact, considering the general situation and her personality, I think she might even write a better letter than the 1st recommender. But would it look better to adcoms if I keep pushing for the 1st recommender to send in a letter? I wrote a lot about my work in human trafficking in my SOP.

Unfortunately, I cannot ask both because of the limit on recommendation letters.