CFAI references question name, references, background, household

noel

I have a complicated question about references.  First background:
I was a mutual fund analyst covering a sector for about 7 years.  Worked in Boston.  The fund I worked at is a household name that you would recognize.  While in Boston, I was stricken with an illness which basically wrecked my life (basically lost 30-40% of one of my main organ’s functions and a second organ was operating at 20% function at one point).  I spent years recovering where I grew up (not Boston) and working with doctors just so I could get enough strength to be able to do things like get out of a bed, and walk up a flight of stairs without collapsing.
During this recovery process I completed my CFA exams.  I now need references to complete the charter process.  I really do not want to get in touch with the people I used to work with as a work reference for CFAI for several reasons.  One major reason is that they basically fired me because my health issues were spiralling out of control and effecting my ablity to work (and probably their premiums).  It was a pretty cold hearted thing to do, I thought considering my dedication to the firm and that my life was literally at stake.
Question:
How detailed are the questions for the work experience check?   Is it OK to get a guy who can’t really speak to the day to day responsibiliites I had, but knows I was a legit analyst on a mutual fund previously for 7+ years?
I know a local charterholder who is a small time portfolio manager and a distant friend of a friend.  He knows I was an analyst on a major fund in Boston.  He cannot speak in a detailed manner about the day to day work or responsibilities I had (at some other fund that he knows little about), but he knows I am for real.  I actually did some private equity advisory work for one of his family members at one point in the last year.  Keep in mind, I would not be mispresenting anything about my work experience at all.

Any idea if this is OK as a CFA local society reference?  What does he have to say?  Are they going to seriously question him in a detailed manner?  Do I have to go crawling back to the dirtbags who canned me and ask them for a reference?  I really do not want to use them except sparingly for very critical job interviews.  I feel like I have very limited bullets with them.

sabina

i realize what I wrote was a lot, but does anyone have any thoughts?  thx.

simeezee

Not that detailed at all.  Just a few Yes/No questions then a comment box on your day to day activities on how you impact the investment decision making process.  I can give you a professional reference if you need it.  Contact me via this site and we’ll chat more about it.