employer LoR and filling out the required forms

[StatsNerd]

So my quest to secure a 3rd academic LoR is proving to be harder than I thought. My first deadline is mid-Feb and I am thinking I might have to turn to my "last resort" employer LoR. Three of the schools I am applying to require 3 LoRs (the other just 2, so I am fine with those) and say they prefer professors or people who can speak about your potential to do well academically. I know I'll probably be at a disadvantage not having all three be from professors but I'm getting desperate. If I do have to use my employer, how should I advise him to fill out the forms that specifically ask to rate me based on school-related things (example "demonstrated research ability") when he does not know me in this context? This is a job unrelated to my field but I have worked there for several years and this person knows me very well. I have no doubt he can write a very positive letter highlighting my strengths (in terms of my work ethic and such) but I'm worried about the forms. Would it better to tell him not to fill out the form at all and just attach the separate letter or just fill them in as best he can?

Edited January 2, 2011 by StatsNerd

[Strangefox]

So my quest to secure a 3rd academic LoR is proving to be harder than I thought. My first deadline is mid-Feb and I am thinking I might have to turn to my "last resort" employer LoR. Three of the schools I am applying to require 3 LoRs (the other just 2, so I am fine with those) and say they prefer professors or people who can speak about your potential to do well academically. I know I'll probably be at a disadvantage not having all three be from professors but I'm getting desperate. If I do have to use my employer, how should I advise him to fill out the forms that specifically ask to rate me based on school-related things (example "demonstrated research ability") when he does not know me in this context? This is a job unrelated to my field but I have worked there for several years and this person knows me very well. I have no doubt he can write a very positive letter highlighting my strengths (in terms of my work ethic and such) but I'm worried about the forms. Would it better to tell him not to fill out the form at all and just attach the separate letter or just fill them in as best he can?

As far as I know, not everything in these forms is about research, so your employer can rate you only on things that are not directly academic (maturity, analytical skills and such like) and if there is something like "demonstrated research ability" he/she can choose, "don't know" or "unable to judje", which must be available as an option. If it isn't, well, I don't know. But in some forms it certainly is.

[hedgequant]

What type of work did you do? I have 2 academic LORs and 1 industry (not an employer, but someone in my industry) and was encouraged to do so by the ad comm at UC Berkeley because my work was 6 years of investment research, so for my desired PhD in Finance it works rather well. If your work experience is not related to your academic research interests, they need to focus on your skills as an "athlete" per se...analytics, research capabilities, dedication, attention to detail, problem solving, etc etc etc