How far can a recommendation go when it comes to a career in Business?

A recommendation can go along way, in any field. It is especially important when you do not have any experience.
Go on-line and read some of the letters of recommendation. It will give you an idea of the strengths, you need to work
on. I understand you want to be an Administrative Assistant, with an Information Systems Technology company. The
plan is to continuing working there to gain the experience, to become a successful business owner.
Great idea and don't forget the intern jobs. It is a way to get experience and get paid for it.
Good Luck!

Letters of recommendation serve as validation to strangers of your skills and abilities to get results...
If you are not working now, you should target key instructors who can speak to your skills and potential...
You should never blind side someone with a request for a letter of recommendation out of the blue...ask them politely if they would be receptive to a request from you and then politely send them a written request being careful that you give them enough time to really complete a good letter...

Many times a good instructor will use the opportunity when you ask if they would be willing to serve as a reference to provide constructive feedback to you on areas that you are doing well in and areas for improvement...this alone can be extremely valuable!?

Chris

Recommendation letters can be very impactful for job seeking and here's a 2 main reasons why:

1) Employers want those with a proven track record of reliability, flexibility, and the ability to learn new things. Not everyone will come in knowing everything about the company and the job role as that'd be impossible, but those who have proven themselves to be dependable and quick learners in other jobs are the type employers want to hire. A recommendation showing how you demonstrated those skills in a previous role or academic setting can go far.

2) The trust of others in the hiring manager's network can go very far. If the hiring manager has a colleague or friend they trust a lot, they in turn will take their word seriously. Having a seal of approval from someone on the inside with your future colleagues will bring you credibility, and will likely help the hiring team determine if you'll be a good cultural fit or not. You should choose your recommender wisely though and not take advantage or relationships with others that aren't well established. Make sure you deserve the recommendation the recommending person gives you and that you know them well enough and trust them to give you the glowing recommendation you want the hiring manager to see.

Good luck!

Source: https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/references-recommendation-letters
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2014/07/14/job-seekers-use-recommendation-letters-to-give-yourself-an-edge/&refURL=https://www.google.com/&referrer=https://www.google.com/

Recommendation definitely helps to make a choice when selecting between various strong competitors