Job Application Reference Help
I have a weird job scenario that I would like some advice on. I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in December and I am currently working on my Masters degree. I am applying to basically my dream job in the archives at my old university and I am stuck at the references section.
I interned for the archives for quite a while, so I know everyone that works there really well. Since my field is pretty small and I am so new to the job market, the work I did here is my only work experience directly in this field. Two of the people that I normally use for references (scholarships, assistantships, school applications, etc.) are directly involved in the situation (head archivist and person leaving the position). I don't know if it is appropriate to ask the person leaving the role for a recommendation, and I am obviously not going to ask the person hiring for the job for a reference. As far as I know everyone parted on good terms, just someone moving to a bigger and better position elsewhere.
I was going to ask a former professor in a related field to the archives to give me a recommendation, but I remembered that they are personal friends with the archivist outside of work. I don't want it to seem like I am trying to suck up to the person doing the hiring by getting a recommendation by a friend, but he has seen lots of my work and knows my skillset really well. In addition the archivist and the professor team taught a class and had me come in as a guest lecturer one week on how our fields intersect, so I know they have discussed me before.
My alternate idea for this reference is a professor in a semi-related field that has seen a fair amount of my work and has a much lower level of interaction on campus with the archivist. It would still be a good reference, but I don't know that he could provide as many good details as the one in the related field.
I have asked one professor in my graduate program for a recommendation because she has seen my skills in this field, so she would be a good reference.
If it is appropriate I would like to ask the person leaving the job, the professor in the semi-related field, and my masters professor to be recommenders.
Here is the TLDR:
- Is is appropriate to ask the person leaving a position to be a reference for you if it was a good parting scenario?
- Does it look bad for one of your references to be a personal friend of the person hiring for the job, even if they are genuinely a great reference?
I would appreciate advice on this because I am new to applying to non-retail positions and I really want to put my best foot forward on this application. Let me know if there is any other additional information that would help. :p