Queen’s Smith LOR Questions: 2023-2024
- How long have you known the applicant?
- Please indicate in what capacity you know the applicant?
- Provide reasons why the applicant should be considered for program,
noting how you believe this degree will contribute to the applicant’s career success. - What are the applicant’s strengths and areas for improvement?
Queen’s Smith Letter of Recommendation Example – 1
1) How long have you known the applicant?
I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Rahul for over two years in a professional capacity through our mutual engagements in the financial and consulting sector. Over this period, I have interacted with him extensively across seminars, panel discussions, and professional collaborations involving financial advisory and corporate training. Rahul has consistently stood out for his technical excellence, professional integrity, and articulate communication skills.
2)Please indicate in what capacity you know the applicant.
My professional association with Rahul began when he served as a Partner at Shetty and Dsouza, Chartered Accountants, a reputed firm specializing in tax consulting, statutory audits, and corporate advisory services. He was one of the lead presenters and moderators during various financial literacy and corporate finance workshops our organizations jointly conducted. Specifically, Rahul delivered expert sessions on topics such as “How to Read a Balance Sheet” and “Union Budget Analysis,” where he demonstrated deep command over financial reporting, regulatory updates, and taxation matters.
His role wasn’t limited to technical contribution. Rahul was also involved in strategic planning for client training modules and execution of several high-profile corporate sessions, attended by CXOs and senior finance professionals. Through these collaborations, I’ve come to know him as a resourceful and intellectually curious professional who brings clarity, precision, and rigor to every initiative he undertakes.
3)Provide reasons why the applicant should be considered for the program, noting how you believe this degree will contribute to the applicant’s career success.
Rahul has already established a solid foundation in finance, taxation, and strategic consulting through his role as a Chartered Accountant and Partner at Shetty and Dsouza. However, what distinguishes him is his ambition to keep growing intellectually and professionally. His decision to pursue this degree is a reflection of his deep commitment to lifelong learning and his desire to evolve into a business leader capable of navigating complex, global challenges.
This program will complement Rahul’s strong technical background by equipping him with advanced leadership, analytics, and managerial skills, which are essential in today’s dynamic business environment. With his consultative experience across sectors and his natural flair for teaching and public speaking, Rahul is ideally positioned to leverage the knowledge from this program to transition into more strategic roles—whether in corporate finance, investment management, or executive leadership. I have every confidence that he will not only absorb the rigorous curriculum but also enrich his cohort through his insights and collaborative mindset.
4)What are the applicant’s strengths and areas for improvement?
Rahul possesses a number of qualities that make him stand out among his peers. Foremost is his clarity of thought—he has the ability to analyze complex problems, break them down into manageable components, and propose actionable solutions. His depth of knowledge in finance, taxation, and business advisory is matched by his ability to communicate effectively with audiences ranging from senior management to early-stage entrepreneurs.
One of Rahul’s key strengths is his public speaking and facilitation skills. Whether leading financial literacy seminars or conducting client briefings, he always brings energy, confidence, and clarity to the conversation. His leadership experience as a partner, combined with his mentoring of junior staff and interns, shows a natural inclination toward team building and knowledge sharing.
In terms of areas for development, Rahul occasionally shows a tendency to over-invest time in perfecting details, especially when preparing presentations or client reports. While this stems from his strong work ethic and desire for excellence, I believe that with the right guidance, he can further hone his prioritization and delegation skills, especially in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments. This academic program, with its emphasis on case-based learning and time-bound deliverables, will help him sharpen this balance between precision and efficiency.
Queen’s Smith Letter of Recommendation Example – 2
1)How long have you known the applicant, and in what capacity?
I worked as a Cost & Risk Manager in Punj Lloyd Ltd. since Aug-2012 to Mar-15. Mukesh was my junior colleague in Project Controls Department for 2.5 years. He worked as a Project Control Engineer in PMO office, for Middle East & South East Asia’s Oil & Gas Projects.
2)What do you consider to be the applicant’s principal strengths and special talents?
In my opinion biggest strengths Mukesh Posses is his strong appetite for learning new skills, and excellent interpersonal & communication skills.
I remember for a 250MM USD project of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). We were to prepare the budget and cash flow projections in a short period. It was my responsibility to analyze the project execution data, and accordingly develop the cash flow. But Mukesh insisted that he be involved in the task and can help me while learning something new to build his skills as well. I was a bit skeptical about sharing the responsibility with him, considering the stakes if something goes wrong; however, taking a chance, I explained to him the fundamentals of the process, which he grasped with exceptional ease. Along with his routine tasks, he helped me prepare the cash flow, and in due time, we were able to deliver it to the finance team. He also took a keen interest in preparing the board meeting reports for the CEOs, which was solely my responsibility. I was glad to receive the extra help and genuinely appreciated how keen mukesh is on learning and acquiring new skills and I think this one quality of him will take him very far.
Another instance I can highlight where I observed Mukesh’s confident persona with excellent interpersonal & communication skills is when he interacted with C Level Executives and Execution Team in the projects. He was able to clearly communicate his message with minimum clarification and objections raised which are extremely common in the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) environment. I remember he was assigned the responsibility of cost and schedule analyst for the Polysilicon process plant project of the contract value of approx. 750 MM USD. As a part of the job in the weekly management review meeting, he has to present the progress and financial risks-related issues, which he did reasonably well. But the exception part was his confidence and communication skills, which always convinced management to take action and mitigate the problems.
3)What are the applicant’s weaknesses or areas in need of improvement?
One area where I think Mukesh should improve upon was that, while dealing with blue-collar employees, he often got worked-up, if they couldn’t understand the technical aspects of the task he wanted them to perform.
He always expects a little extra from them. One day I saw him getting into an argument with Inventory controller at the project site. I immediately called a meeting with him and advised him to be patient with them as their academics and cognitive skills need not necessarily be the same level as of himself or white-collar employees. After this advice, I think mukesh made conscious efforts to improve upon. He became more patient and started maneuvering them with profound ease but i think there is always room for improvement especially if you want to grow up to be a leader in EPC industry.
4)Comment on the applicant’s style and interpersonal skills considering general attitude and confidence, ability to work under stress, and sensitivity to others.
I found Mukesh as a great team player. Being highly co-operative and ready to shoulder responsibilities in the tough situation. Considering the example of what I stated in his strengths’ questionnaire, The KOC project was a schedule squeezed project, and he shared the responsibility to finish the major tasks such as cash flow and other procedure in the project initiation phase.
Apart from professional life, He often coordinated and gathered company employees to play various indoor and outdoor sports, such as cricket, volleyball, table tennis, etc. These team-building initiatives not only increased the harmony and coordination among the project team, but it also established a long term relationship among each other.
Overall, I have found Mukesh to be a genial person – who would make friends wherever he goes. He will be a great ambassador for any organization that he works for or any institute that he studies in.
5)How has the applicant demonstrated managerial potential?
Shouldering responsibility, having excellent interpersonal, and communication skills, are as per me one of the best qualities of a leader or manager. Mukesh is remarkable among these qualities.
Also, now Mukesh is working as a lead Project management consultant (PMC), leading his discipline, which is testimony to his skills. I firmly believe in whatever organization he works; he would thrive and make a good manager.
6)How would you rate the applicant’s achievements when compared to those of his/her peers?
I have met many exceptional professionals in my 16 years of work experience in top tier EPC companies such as the Reliance, Petrofac, and Punj Lloyd, and have found Mukesh to be among the best of them. His unique set of skills and above average maturity set him apart from his peers in his league.
Queen’s Smith Letter of Recommendation Example – 3
1)How long have you known the applicant, and in what capacity?
I have known Mukesh for more than two years as his direct supervisor and mentor.
Mukesh was hired as a cost control engineer in the Lindenberg Emirates (LE) in 2015. After joining he was given the responsibilities of the cost control for power distribution projects where i directly supervised him.
2)What do you consider to be the applicant’s principal strengths and special talents?
I find Mukesh a person who takes initiatives on his own, and a professional who thrives in teamwork jobs.
I always found him proactive, taking initiatives when least expected from anyone in his position, and fixing issues with minimal inputs from my side. After joining LE, he was given the task of cost control activities for Power distribution projects only. But his willingness to take on more initiatives made me assign him responsibilities for water distribution projects too. He took very strategic and pragmatic approaches to control project costs, where I believe his prior work experience was helpful. He overhauled the reporting system of the cost control, brought various positive changes which gave more insight about the ongoing status of the projects.
Apart from being recognised for taking initiatives Mukesh also excels in teamwork based projects. I remember when at LE, our ERP system was upgraded from old EZ business suit to new system JD Edwards. He enthusiastically worked to develop a new Cost Break down (CBS) for the company with the finance team. His advanced skills in excel also helped us to map the old costs to the new system in a very short span of time. He constructively gave the inputs about our department to the ERP team when needed. His promising nature kept me off the hook and let me focus on other project management activities. Eventually he was able to navigate this entire situation, with my minimal inputs.
I was really impressed by how he was able to coordinate with all the teams and ensure a smooth transition and that is why i believe he is really good at team coordination and excel in teamwork based projects.
3)What are the applicant’s weaknesses or areas in need of improvement?
I think Mukesh’s weakness is the same as his strength; sometimes, while taking initiatives, he pushes himself to such a situation where he ends up struggling with the workload.
As I mentioned in his strengths, He was assigned the responsibility of Power Projects, but his curiosity to learn and take care of water projects made him take the double load, though I helped him, many times I felt that he should have bitten less than what he could chew.
Later, I advised him how to set the priorities and choose the right and realistic expectation from himself to avoid burnout. He welcomed my advice and tried to internalize it since then.
4)Comment on the applicant’s style and interpersonal skills considering general attitude and confidence, ability to work under stress, and sensitivity to others.
I think Mukesh thrive working under stress. In LE, we were part of the task in which the old ERP system was upgraded from old EZ business suit to new system JD Edwards. This task was extremely critical since entire accounting and projects data was needed to be transferred and mapped to the new system in a short span of 15 days.
If the task were to be delayed, it would have impacted not only corporate monthly reporting but also other issues about the ongoing project’s progress and cashflow. From our department, I assigned Mukesh to take care of this task of mapping old cost to new cost codes. Mukesh’s advance excels skills and technical knowledge that where one cost must be allocated in accounting made him pursue this challenge as a cakewalk.
I was highly impressed by his ability to work under stress and felt that I could count on him whenever any such situation would come.
5)How has the applicant demonstrated managerial potential?
Taking the initiative and leading from the front is one of the greatest skills of a leader as per me. While working under me, he guided/ mentored junior cost controllers and other staff associated with projects. Being a team player, he co-operates with team members and finds it easy to get cooperation back as well. I firmly believe that Mukesh is going to be a great leader and asset to any organization
6)How would you rate the applicant’s achievements when compared to those of his/her peers?
Mukesh is one of the most outstanding professionals I have come across. He is from one of the top Government Engineering colleges of India and accordingly expectations were always high from him, as compared to similar candidates. He performed exceedingly well in the organization, and under my supervision, achieved excellent rating.
Queen’s Smith Letter of Recommendation Example – 4
1. How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?
As the Director of Marketing and PR at a leading hospitality and lifestyle brand, I worked closely with the applicant in her role as a Marketing Manager. Over the course of two years, I had the opportunity to directly observe her performance across a variety of projects and campaigns, providing me with a comprehensive view of her professional capabilities, communication skills, and leadership style.
2. In your view, what are the candidate’s greatest strengths?
One of the applicant’s most remarkable strengths is her strong sense of ownership and her ability to take initiative when faced with complex challenges.
During a collaboration project with a renowned Michelin-starred restaurant, we faced considerable delays in developing a co-branded content campaign. Despite the previous partnership history, this initiative was not progressing as expected. The applicant independently analyzed the issue and discovered, through proactive communication and research, that a major digital platform—intended as a potential sponsor—had concerns about the proposed creative direction.
Instead of waiting for instructions, she restructured the campaign approach to better align with the platform’s content expectations while maintaining ongoing communication with our stakeholders. Her ability to navigate multiple interests, shift the creative direction strategically, and restore project momentum was pivotal in delivering a successful campaign.
This episode is just one example of how her analytical mindset, strong communication skills, and sense of responsibility enable her to lead initiatives effectively and drive tangible results.
3. What are the candidate’s greatest weaknesses?
As her direct manager, I’ve seen the applicant demonstrate great capability, but one area for further development is sustaining composure and focus over extended, uncertain project timelines.
During the pandemic, several of our projects were delayed due to external factors such as supply chain disruptions and travel restrictions. These issues, particularly in one of our high-concept restaurant projects themed around art and culture, introduced unavoidable slowdowns in marketing launches and VIP engagement campaigns.
Although the applicant remained committed and proactive, I noticed that at times the uncertainty led to frustration and minor miscommunications within the team. We discussed the importance of maintaining adaptability and patience during complex cycles. I provided guidance on restructuring timelines, reallocating tasks, and adjusting priorities.
To her credit, she took the feedback seriously, adjusted her workflow, and returned with a renewed sense of focus and composure. I believe that exposure to even more complex and fast-changing environments—such as those found in a rigorous MBA program—will help her cultivate long-term strategic thinking and emotional resilience, essential traits for future leadership roles.
4. This program requires each student to join a learning team of up to seven members for the entire 12-months. Please comment on the candidate’s ability to interact, contribute and perform in this environment. In your capacity, do you feel this will be a challenge or benefit to the candidate and why?
Based on my professional experience with the applicant, I am confident that she will thrive in a team-based, collaborative learning environment.
One standout example is her leadership in a cross-functional campaign at a modern art-themed restaurant, which involved aligning with an external museum partner, our culinary team, and marketing colleagues. She played a central role in facilitating communication across these diverse stakeholders. Not only did she ensure that all partners were aligned on objectives and timelines, but she also acted as the creative bridge between the museum’s cultural vision and our brand’s culinary presentation.
Through consistent communication, timely updates, and creative problem-solving, she enabled the campaign to reflect a cohesive brand story. Her approach to collaboration—empathic, organized, and proactive—makes her an ideal fit for team-based work that demands coordination, innovation, and cultural awareness.
5. With the highly competitive nature of the Queen’s MBA admissions process, why should we consider the candidate for a seat in the program?
The applicant brings a unique combination of creativity, strategic insight, and operational experience that would add significant value to the Queen’s MBA cohort.
In her tenure at our organization, she played key roles in multiple brand campaigns involving high-end restaurants, art partnerships, and global collaborators. She possesses deep industry knowledge in lifestyle and hospitality sectors and has demonstrated an exceptional ability to bridge marketing creativity with business performance. Her experience spans working with Michelin-rated establishments, major digital content platforms, and cultural institutions, which positions her as someone capable of offering diverse insights in classroom discussions and team projects.
Moreover, her intellectual curiosity and motivation to expand her leadership capacity make her an ideal candidate for a competitive and immersive program like Queen’s MBA. She will not only benefit immensely from the program but also contribute meaningfully to the learning community.
6. In your capacity, how do you feel the candidate responds to critical feedback?
In my experience, the applicant consistently demonstrates a growth-oriented mindset and a mature response to constructive feedback.
For instance, in the early stages of a major anniversary campaign, I provided detailed suggestions on refining the campaign’s media strategy to better align with our brand’s identity and audience. She responded thoughtfully, asked clarifying questions, and took the initiative to audit the initial proposal and revise it based on feedback. The outcome was a more targeted and effective media selection, which greatly enhanced campaign performance.
She consistently seeks feedback not just from senior leadership but also from collaborators across departments, showing humility and a willingness to improve. Her balanced, professional demeanor during these discussions reinforces her commitment to learning and continuous improvement—an essential quality for success in a demanding academic environment.
Struggling to Write Good LOR?
Try our AI-powered admissions toolkit
DIY Self-service platform.
Free to try, easy to use.
