So for those of you who haven't yet heard the story, I did ask the ex-boss about a reference on my last day. He said he would provide a reference for me, but said, "I'm gonna warn you: I'm honest. I give the good stuff and the 'needs improvement' stuff." So I'm thinkin' a reference from him is likely to hurt me more than it helps me.
Now that the "I'm trying to keep my job search confidential" response is no longer applicable, what answer do I give to "Is there a reason why you don't want us to contact your former employer?"
On another note, I did think of a good answer for "why did you quit before you got a new job?" I said, "I thought I'd be helping myself more by temping and trying a few different kinds of jobs in different kinds of companies, than I would by staying in a job I found somewhat stifling. Also, as a temp, it's easier for me to stay in contact with people in the course of my job search, and easier to schedule interviews." Go, me!
But I'm really not certain what to say about the reference question. Is it ok to say something about not having a good relationship with him? If it is, I can soften that by saying that I had better relationships with my direct supervisors, but that they are not allowed by company policy to provide references or even employment verification for ex-employees (which is absolutely true). I just don't know what to do. I want to be honest without making it sound like "Don't contact him because he'll tell you how much I sucked."
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