One of the interesting things about spending almost 30 years in the yoyo industry is that I’ve met a lot of kids and watched them grow up and leave yoyoing.
Agree that giving good references is important and it is more meaningful for the potential employer as well as employee. Having been, as you, on both sides, I know how much a heartfelt or truthful reference helped when hiring new teachers. Those teachers were excellent and usually stayed with the school for years. In my last years before retirement, HR gave us strict protocols to follow when giving a reference. It took out the personal factor entirely.
Agree that giving good references is important and it is more meaningful for the potential employer as well as employee. Having been, as you, on both sides, I know how much a heartfelt or truthful reference helped when hiring new teachers. Those teachers were excellent and usually stayed with the school for years. In my last years before retirement, HR gave us strict protocols to follow when giving a reference. It took out the personal factor entirely.