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At 06:04 PM 12/8/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>(Kevin McLauchlan was asking how to use references when he's worked at one
>place for years)
>
>Are you really afraid of losing your position there if they find out you're
>looking? How about using a peer reference such as an SME or another writer,
>rather than your manager?
>
>Justin Cascio
I had a similar problem when I changed lines of work -- none of my previous
employers could talk about the skills I planned to use in my new job. Most
of my former employers also wouldn't give references. The standard two
questions (referred to HR, btw) were: yes/no to confirm whether I worked
there and yes/no on whether they would hire me back. No more.
I used my contacts through non-profit organizations I volunteered for (I
had edited newsletters, books, brochures, etc.), peers and SMEs from former
jobs, and another writer who had worked with me on some volunteer work. In
fact, though I have lots of references now in my contracting world, I still
use a mixture of these (1 each contract manager, peer/SME from former job
and "client" from non-profit volunteer work) for references so my future
employer can get a broader perspective about me.
