FWD: Getting out of a bad situation

[anonfwd -at- raycomm -dot- com]

 I've been working for a large consumer electronics company for 2 and a
half years now.  When I started with the company, I was one of a group of
technical editors.  Our boss was a mutton-head, but we had little
interaction with him and were generally left to ourselves.  I generally
got along with my co-workers, although naturally I got along better with some
than with others.  As time progressed, however, one of my co-workers was
promoted to become my boss.  Shortly after that happened, what had
previously been minor disagreements blew up into major confrontations,
with me being forced to back down every time.  What was worse than that
was that he began to nit-pick my work and I became his personal whipping-boy
whenever anything went wrong.  I do not know the reason this happened.  I have made
up my mind that I want to get out of this untenable situation.  However,
the problem is that I work outside of the United States, in an office where
few of my co-workers and supervisors speak English.  If I were to leave
the company and ask for a reference, no matter who I asked, it would
eventually wind up the responsibility of my tormentor.  

  I want to know, when I'm asked why I left my previous job and why I have
no references from my previous place of employment, how should I respond?
I can get glowing letters of recommendation from my part time jobs during
college, but my supervisor at my last job is deceased and no one else
there can speak English either.  How do I wash my hands of this place and this
job?  How important are previous references in getting Tech
Writing/Editing jobs?


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