Job reference question
Anonymous
Job reference question
I interviewed for a position today (it's a state job-Department of Revenue) and they emailed me asking me to complete a background check form and also asked for a 3rd reference. I really don't have another good reference. I could get great references at my current job but I am not ready to let any of them know I am job searching. Prior to the position I am in now, I worked at the transportation department for 3 months. I had to leave because we moved out of state. The department head was upset to see me go and said she would be an enthusiastic reference for me if I needed one (she even emailed me after I left just to reiterate what a valuable person I was). The problem is that I did not put this position on my resume. It was so short and seemed irrelevant. Plus, you only have so much space on a resume. Is it a bad idea to use her as a reference and just give a brief explanation as to why it is not on the resume? My only other option is an old friend that I started a business with back in 2013. She changed her mind a few months in and left me to build the business on my own. I did build it and sold it for a profit 3 years later. Would that even be a decent reference since it was so long ago and the partnership portion short lived? It is also not on my resume but just because of the time period.
Basically until a year and a half ago I was mostly a stay at home mom that just did whatever was necessary at any given time. Now my kids are grown and I am trying to navigate building a career late in life. This is hard. Any advice on my best option would be appreciated.
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