In article
<Pine.A32.3.95.961122231720.36222G-100000 at homer29.u.washington.edu>, "J.
Johnson" <siddo at u.washington.edu> wrote:
> Hello Charles,
>> I am talking about exactly what you refer to as slander -
> false misrepresentation. So, to me and to my boss at the time, giving a
> bad and good ref to different positions did not "make good sense."
I have been following this thread with some horror. I don't know how you
forestall a situation like Jenn's, but I'd like to make a recommendation
for more run-of-the-mill cases. Don't simply ask the person for a letter
of reference; state that you need a strongly positive reference, and ask
whether the writer feels capable of doing that. In the case of jobs that
could be seen as different due to skills involved or whatever, ask the
question for each letter. You may find someone who will say "I will be
able to write a good letter for X but not for Y."
Furthermore, if you have a reason to suspect that your advisor will not
write you a good letter, and if you don't feel comfortable even asking the
question above, you don't have to ask for that letter. In your letter of
application, you say "I have not asked my advisor to write a letter on my
behalf, because we have had some differences of opinion." In such cases
it is very important to try to find another letter-writer who is
sufficiently familiar with the situation to be able to assure the reader
that those differences were legitimate and not due to malfeasance on your
part -- the details don't need to be spelled out, but the reader does need
to be reassured by a person who has approximately equal status with the
advisor. We all know of cases where interactions between advisor and
advisee did not work out, and in the vast majority of such cases, the
former advisee blossoms in a new environment. I think it is far better to
admit to the outside world that your adviser and you weren't like two peas
in a pod, rather than risk being trashed or else damned with faint praise.
A few years ago (1993?) AWIS Magazine had a very useful article on letters
of reference, including suggestions for ways to find out if you are being
sabotaged behind your back.
Good luck!
--Chris
