Letters of recomendation?

As Mike said, it never hurts. I have never heard the phrase "Wow...that letter of recommendation really worked against me". Now, if the person writing the letter has a somewhat dubious reputation or something like that I would maybe think about who to use it with - but still get one just to have it. As a rule of thumb you can never have too many assets or arrows in your quiver.
 
How much weight do you think they actually hold when they come from your previous employer?

If you can get them, take them. However, some employers are prohibited by corporate policy from giving them...lawsuits, and such. It's a bummer, really.
 
My current CP wasn't sure about hiring me, as I wasn't the most qualified to hire into the job. However my former (current at the time CP) gave me a good letter of reference.
Now I'm sitting back and enjoying a really good view.

It doesn't hurt.
 
If the letters are generated from a person of influence or have had some sort of relevant relationship with the hiring party, a recommending letter could put you in a very comfortable position.
 
If the letters are generated from a person of influence or have had some sort of relevant relationship with the hiring party, a recommending letter could put you in a very comfortable position.

It would come from the owner/DO/guy that does all the hiring. Thats one of the reasons why it sucls I was laid off. You don't find to many bosses that say "I'll write you a letter of recomendation, you can use my airplane to take your ATP ride, even if I have to buy you a plane ticket to get you to Florida, and here is a severance package that should last you till the end of the year." I miss not working with those guys. Even when I didn't have to be there, I'd still show up to see if there was anything I could do, even if it was just to hang.
 
It would come from the owner/DO/guy that does all the hiring. Thats one of the reasons why it sucls I was laid off. You don't find to many bosses that say "I'll write you a letter of recomendation, you can use my airplane to take your ATP ride, even if I have to buy you a plane ticket to get you to Florida, and here is a severance package that should last you till the end of the year." I miss not working with those guys. Even when I didn't have to be there, I'd still show up to see if there was anything I could do, even if it was just to hang.

This is how companies SHOULD work. If I worked for a company that treated their people like that, I'd be bending over backwards to pick up open time, I wouldn't be refusing extensions and I'd have no problem with being junior manned since I know they're doing it as an absolute last resort. As it is....well, too many companies are the exact opposite.
 
True story.

Friend of mine was interviewing a job candidate (who I also happened to know). Job candidate offered a reference from so-and-so. My friend's response? "Yeah, I pretty much despise so-and-so." Apparently you never saw the color drain from a person's face so fast.
 
True story.

Friend of mine was interviewing a job candidate (who I also happened to know). Job candidate offered a reference from so-and-so. My friend's response? "Yeah, I pretty much despise so-and-so." Apparently you never saw the color drain from a person's face so fast.

Interview nightmare, I'd be a pasty white if that happened to me too... I'm feeling faint just thinking about it!!
 
How much weight do you think they actually hold when they come from your previous employer?

Depends with the person on the employer side, if you are qualified for the side, sometimes a good letter of recommendation can be enough to push you across the finish line
 
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