Hi,

I have recently completed my undergraduate degree and am considering taking a job at a family business. The job would be in the field I got my degree in (advertising/marketing) but I am worried that because I share my last name with the company’s name, business schools will discount any work related accomplishments I might attain and be skeptical of my recommendations. Is it necessary for me to seek other employment to be an attractive applicant?

Thank you in advance for answering my question.

B-schools are welcoming of applicants who work for their family businesses - provided that the family business is of a substantive size (i.e. not a mom 'n pop grocery store, but a business that generates a few mil or more in revenue per year).

What matters is being able to show that you've accomplished and had an impact on the business in a meaningful way - and in a way that you couldn't have done in any other organization. In other words, adcoms won't discount your experience if you are able to show that you've made the most of the inherent advantages of working for your family business - rather than throwing it away. In other words, it's not about minimizing the impact of nepotism, but showing how you used nepotism to your full advantage to accomplish things for your company (because you have greater responsibilities) that you couldn't do if you were just Joe Employee somewhere else.

Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

I was wondering who I should ask for a recommendation when I'm sort of the "boss" at the manufacturing family business. My only real bosses are my parents and my brother... I was thinking of a distributor of our products who I've worked with but we don't work closely together all the time...

I have a recommender lined up from the non-profit I work with...

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

You're on the right track.

Avoid anyone related to you. Focus on key customers, vendors, lawyers, board members, investors, etc. that you've worked with for some time. If they don't know you well, they are still preferred over any family member.

Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com