Missing Letter of Recommendation

[joshmf]

First, I would like to say this forum is an excellent source of info. I am currently applying for Navy OCS, and everything has gone smoothly so far. However, I was told earlier today by my manager that our company's policy prevents managers from writing letters of reference for employees for outside sources. I can only assume this is meant to prevent people from leaving for competitors. The OCS regs require a LoR from your current and prior employees, as I understand it. Besides the general bs-ness of this, I'm hoping someone has some advice on how to proceed. I already have enough LoRs from other sources, and had an excellent officer interview. I felt sure that my manager would give me an outstanding letter, and feel pretty let down by someone I've busted my a$$ for for a long time. Does anyone think that a note from my manager stating that she can not provide a LoR will seriously hurt my application? Is this something I can or should compel her to do? It is the federal government requesting it, after all. Thanks.

 

[schwarti]

I think technically, you aren't required to have LORs from all former employers - but it helps. I don't know if you can (or should) compel her to do anything for you. I wouldn't sweat it too much if you have good LORs from other sources.

 

[FSF17]

I had letters from 2 family friends, one teacher, and an employer (not the most recent). I lacked letters from maybe 4 employers, and I was pro-rec'd.

 

[FUPaladin]

I ran into a similar problem when I was putting my application together. I only had one job during college that I worked at for two summers , so I asked the manager there for a LOR in early January of this year and he assured me it wouldn't be a probem. Over two months later in late March and after repeated phone calls (I went to college in another state), I finally got the form back in the mail. Turns out that it was filled out by a new manager who hadn't even been there when I worked there, and all he had done was mark straight down the "Average" column and not even bother to write a LOR (not that I blame him--he didn't even know me). Needless to say, I was fairly pissed at my former manager for this and still am.

I guess I didn't really need to tell that story, but it felt good to vent. To answer your question, when I brought this problem to my recruiter, he told me that it happens all the time and that it wasn't a problem, and I ended up just getting another LOR from a professor. So don't worry about it, but do mention it to your recruiter.

 

[RHPF]

The form (DD317?) is available somewhere online. A search of this forum will turn up the form number (or your recruiter can get it for you). On the form the company can write "Due to company policy we cannot comment on the employment of this person other than to say he/she worked for our company from MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY." I imagine your boss will be ok with that, and the Navy should be too. I had a similar situation, asked what to do, and that was the answer I was given.

 

[joshmf]

Thanks for the advice. I have a great relationship with her, so I think she'll be fine with submitting that.

 

[Spekkio]

First, I would like to say this forum is an excellent source of info. I am currently applying for Navy OCS, and everything has gone smoothly so far. However, I was told earlier today by my manager that our company's policy prevents managers from writing letters of reference for employees for outside sources. I can only assume this is meant to prevent people from leaving for competitors. The OCS regs require a LoR from your current and prior employees, as I understand it. Besides the general bs-ness of this, I'm hoping someone has some advice on how to proceed. I already have enough LoRs from other sources, and had an excellent officer interview. I felt sure that my manager would give me an outstanding letter, and feel pretty let down by someone I've busted my a$$ for for a long time. Does anyone think that a note from my manager stating that she can not provide a LoR will seriously hurt my application? Is this something I can or should compel her to do? It is the federal government requesting it, after all. Thanks.

Don't even worry about it. You have to list all your employers for the past 3 years, but it's not uncommon for a company to refuse to give a letter of reference. You have character references so there shouldn't be a problem.

Some of my past bosses have agreed to do it "under the table" as character references, but it's generally illegal in NYS for companies to provide employee information to others beyond when you worked there and whether or not you are eligible for rehire. At least it is according to the supermarket I worked at for 6 months nearly 3 years ago. It may also be the case in your state. Hell, before the company I was just working at went bankrupt and laid everyone off, I was going to tell them not to contact my current employer for fear of jeopordizing my employment with them should I not get picked up.

The bottom line is that you don't need a glowing recommendation from everyone you list on the references urgent sheet. Just get some people in positions of authority (teachers, coaches, other managers, friends of the family who served) who really know you to divulge your positive character traits.

 

[Morgan81]

I just went through the same thing.
I didn't want my current employer to know I was applying so I didn't put them down for a LOR.
As I understand it, you can have anyone you want write you a LOR, they don't have to be employers.
They will verify you work or worked their after you get your Final-Select which is what happened to me. I didn't tell my boss till I got my final. After that came through, I told my boss someone would probably be a calling him to make sure I work here, and sure enough, someone did.

 

[Spekkio]

Well, I'm going nuke so the application process is ordered differently, but yea...they just wanna make sure you've never been canned and that you didn't lie about where you worked.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

Joshmf,

I'm putting my package together currently. I have 9 LOR's ( all from my prior enlisted life CO's, XO's, OIC's and DIVO's. The people at my NRD said that that is fine and LOR's from all previous employers are not needed, but some are good if you can get some. They did however want me to get two from family or friends on top of all the military LOR's I have. Hope that helps, good luck.


-Ken

 

[FUPaladin]

9 LORs and they're telling you you need more? I got picked up with three.