Office etiquette question re: references

nightchef
Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:48:52 +0000

I am considering applying for an open position in a different department of the university where I work. The job posting requests three professional references. I have worked closely over the years with several people in this department, and they would be my first choices to serve as references for me, but I’m wondering if asking them to do so in this case would be putting them (or me) in an awkward position. I can’t really think of a reason why this should be so, but I also know that I am prone to miss etiquette issues and conflicts of interest that are readily apparent to others. Obviously if any of these people are on the search committee, they would have to decline, but aside from that, is there a reason why I should hesitate to ask them?