Choosing LOR) post doc vs assistant professor

[StenoLubr]

So I worked at a lab for a year at one of the ivies

 

I worked under a post-doc first who is still a post-doc at the lab. After the project, I worked under another post-doc who is now an assistant professor at a european university (happened after I left the lab). 

 

I know that the post-doc who is still a post-doc at the lab knows me better and will give me a better LOR, but I heard that I should get a rec from a professor and not a post doc

 

So who should I ask? Post-doc with better LOR or assistant professor (who was also a post doc when I worked for him)

Edited October 6, 2014 by kingwd

[bsharpe269]

If your other LORs are from tenured professors then I don't think that having one from a post doc will be a deal breaker. I doubt the assistant prof vs post doc title will make a huge difference. In general, the best LORs are from tenured professors who are well known in the field. Unless the assistant professor happens to be incredibly well known already then his title probably won't matter much. I'd go with the one who can write a better letter.

Edited October 6, 2014 by bsharpe269

[StenoLubr]

If your other LORs are from tenured professors then I don't think that having one from a post doc will be a deal breaker. I doubt the assistant prof vs post doc title will make a huge difference. In general, the best LORs are from tenured professors who are well known in the field. Unless the assistant professor happens to be incredibly well known already then his title probably won't matter much. I'd go with the one who can write a better letter.

 

 

Alright, thats reassuring. Thank you

[Usmivka]

I think if anything it would be disingenous to get the letter from the assistant prof since you weren't workling for them in their capacity as faculty. Not that I think a postdoc is a great choice either--it just isn't far enough removed from grad school to consider this person an objective voice who can speak to your scientific potential. I take it you can't get a letter of rec from the faculty who actually supervised the lab where you did both projects? This would carry a lot more weight, even if s/he simply signs a letter written by the postdoc who knows you well and will vouch for you. It isn't that unusual to draft your own letter of rec and hand it off to a prof to edit and send either. f you do have a letter from the prof already, it is superfluous to have two letters of rec from within the same lab. I personally think it would be better to use that spare letter for some other non-faculty, say an outreach coordinator, lab manager, or lecturer that is high up on some other professional development track and can speak to different strengths.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Usmivka

[StenoLubr]

I think if anything it would be disingenous to get the letter from the assistant prof since you weren't workling for them in their capacity as faculty. Not that I think a postdoc is a great choice either--it just isn't far enough removed from grad school to consider this person an objective voice who can speak to your scientific potential. I take it you can't get a letter of rec from the faculty who actually supervised the lab where you did both projects? This would carry a lot more weight, even if s/he simply signs a letter written by the postdoc who knows you well and will vouch for you. It isn't that unusual to draft your own letter of rec and hand it off to a prof to edit and send either. f you do have a letter from the prof already, it is superfluous to have two letters of rec from within the same lab. I personally think it would be better to use that spare letter for some other non-faculty, say an outreach coordinator, lab manager, or lecturer that is high up on some other professional development track and can speak to different strengths.

 

Hey thanks for the input. I didn't get LOR from the professor who is the head of the lab, and I feel like I would not be able to ask him to sign the letter written by post-doc. Hopefully post-doc first suggests this idea, but i feel like that wont happen