Do I have to use my grad advisor as a reference?

[Lizzbee]

I got my Master's this past May. I have a job interview coming up soon, to work in a lab. I really want this job and having been trying for a while to get an interview for something in my field.

 

However, I did not have a good relationship with my faculty advisor. I asked her in the past if she would mind being a reference, and she said that while she would give me a reference, it would not be a great one. I'm stuck as far as what to do because I feel that it would be a red flag to my interviewer if I do not include my advisor. 

 

Any advice anyone?

[ruru107]

I'm also interested in this. My relationship with my advisor isn't bad, but there are professors and professionals in my field that I have spent more time with and who are more enthusiastically supportive than my advisor. But I also see how someone might find it strange if my advisor is not listed as a reference.

[MsDarjeeling]

If your advisor clearly told you that she can't give you a good reference then why would you want to use her?  If you have other professors that could give you a good reference then it would make more sense to use them.  Now if a potential employer insists on speaking with your advisor you'll have to decide how you want to proceed.  If you're aware of her issues with you then perhaps you could find a way to address those points elsewhere in the interview to indicate that you have or are trying to improve.

[Lifesaver]

Did the employer ask specifically for a letter from your advisor? If not, I don't know why you would HAVE TO use them as a reference.

[thegirldetective]

In the sciences, it is generally seen as a red flag if your most recent advisor isn't one of your references. So a good-but-not-great reference might be better than no reference at all (which might be interpreted by new employers as "this person's grad advisor would have given a bad reference").

 

If you decide not to ask your advisor to be a reference, be prepared to explain why in job interviews (in a way that both doesn't make you look bad but also doesn't look like you're trashing your advisor).

 

If you do decide to use your advisor, make sure you have other research references that are very strong. If your other references are very positive, your advisor's good-but-not-great reference may be viewed as more of a matter of personal style/tone, not necessarily reflective of you. Also, if you can get a reference from someone else in your graduate lab (a postdoc, maybe?) that could also help - while postdocs are generally not considered as good of a reference as faculty, having someone in your current lab vouch for you could be very helpful.

Edited January 25, 2014 by thegirldetective

[juilletmercredi]

While it's a red flag not to have a reference from your advisor, a lukewarm reference from your research advisor is worse than a glowing reference from another professor.  And some people are unable to say "I won't give you a good reference," so "My reference won't be a great one" sounds like a euphemism for a lukewarm to negative reference.  So were I you, OP, I'd seek a reference elsewhere.

Edited February 1, 2014 by juilletmercredi