Ask before you need it. "Hey Tina, if I were to move jobs in couple years, would you be a reference?"
But I also wonder why you care - is it so that you can keep your job if you don't get the new offer?
But I also wonder why you care - is it so that you can keep your job if you don't get the new offer?
If your current company is just a normal company, it might ruffle some feathers. But that company needs you to do the work, so most of the time they’re not just going to fire you for looking somewhere else.
Can you ask someone outside the company for a referral? Most of the time it’s not a key factor in getting hired - they’re just checking a box.