Job Discussion Forums

[hocus pocus]

Wow!! - just heard from a former colleague. A former employer in KSA(I won't mention who or where) wrote the most fantastic reference letter and, as is custom, asked future employers to contact him in regard to this person.

This individual provided the past employer as a reference and was shocked to find out that his emails to a potential employer were 100% divergent from the glowing reference letter and full of vitriol.

Comments?

[johntpartee]

I've had that happen, although mine wasn't in writing. I asked a soon-to-be-former employer if I could use him as a reference. He said I could. I did. A prospective employer told me he was giving me a bad reference. I asked the former employer why he said I could use him as a reference. He said I didn't specify that I wanted a good reference. I didn't have a response. Some people are really weird.

[teenoso]

I agree, some people just love sabotaging others. Maybe it is just envy .

In the UK at least, there is the threat of litigation so few feel able to write a poor reference, but presumably they think they can be more honest (or unkind) in emails between employers.

A reference letter which says 'please contact me about this employee', is a real red flag, and points to some hidden horrors. More usual is to see something like the bland and polite 'please contact me if you have any further questions'.