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I am curious as to why you think you can't ask for a reference simply because the company is small? References are not about the size of the company, but instea

I am curious as to why you think you can't ask for a reference simply because the company is small? References are not about the size of the company, but instead ensuring that who you say you are is really true. When I first started in the industry my only references were from high school jobs at fast food places and small restaurants. Nothing related to IT or the job I was applying for. These references though all concurred that I was a hard-working, reliable employee, who would take on extra responsibilities, always willing to work, never called in sick, etc... That is what a reference is truly about. Finally, companies will typically only ask for 3-4 references, and even then most of the time they do not have to all be work related.

nfnaaron 17y ago
"I am curious as to why you think you can't ask for a reference simply because the company is small?" Because he's in stealth search mode?
- jeffmould 17y ago
  Understand and you always have to be cautious about this. You can still use the reference and get around this though by letting the company you are interviewing with know ahead of time that your current employer is not aware you are looking and you would like to proceed cautiously. Most employers understand this.
erlanger 17y ago
> I am curious as to why you think you can't ask for a reference simply because the company is small? Maybe I will, but there's only one other person there who would be credible as a reference of my work, and it's a flip of a coin. Best case, I get a great reference, worst case, a cold shoulder and sacrifice a good bit of credibility for the remainder of my tenure. So I'm wary of breaching that barrier. And as nfnaaron said, I'd really prefer that nobody at my workplace be aware of my job hunt.