How many times do you use the same reference?

shamrock77

Ive been unemployed 3 months now, but was wondering how many times people use they're references over & over for different job applications, i feel as though im a burden now to them lol. I do always tell them beforehand & they know im desperately looking for employment. But was just wondering if anyone else felt the same? :beer:

RedSoleShoes

You need to probably use the same referees as you are not in a position at the moment to gain a new work referee. Even people in a role are unlikely to have a supply of names to give as most employers want your current or most recent employment reference.

Really, the companies you go to interview for should not be asking for references unless they have offered you a role (and accepted usually) so it's highly likely that your referees are not even being asked to provide a reference yet.

RexBanner

RedSoleShoes wrote: »

You need to probably use the same referees as you are not in a position at the moment to gain a new work referee. Even people in a role are unlikely to have a supply of names to give as most employers want your current or most recent employment reference.

Really, the companies you go to interview for should not be asking for references unless they have offered you a role (and accepted usually) so it's highly likely that your referees are not even being asked to provide a reference yet.

Hope that's put your mind at rest - refs should be most recent and relevant you have so no need to chop and change, and as said here there's no reason for them to be contacted until you're offered something.

shamrock77

Yeah it has, so ill just keep going with applications. Thanks.

Oldernotwiser

Once a reference has been written for you then it will be on the company's records and it will be very little effort for several to be sent out. They don't write it separately for each request!

longwaydown

I would be careful about using references for job applications through agencies though, as I found some years back that they like to tout for business even if they don't want to consider you for the job.

alisonmeyers

i always write "references available on request" now unless i've approached a company directly.

learnt from others experiences - my sister applied for a job via an agency and she was told in their reg interview that references would only be followed if she was offered a position - cue her boss the next week asking if she was planning on leaving as she'd had a reference request through my sister hadn't even attended the actual interview for the position at the company the agency had arranged

funny thing was my sister wasn't even seriously considering leaving, she was just casting her net after finding out that the guy who'd been hired with 5 years less exp than her was actually on a good 8k more per year from the get go - she wanted to have a backup plan if he request for a salary review didn't go well - in the end it caused such bad blood between sis and her boss that she ended up leaving anyway :rotfl: not a good thing to see happen - no one ended up particularly happy from that! sis ended up resenting her work even more and leaving, her company lost a generally loyal hard working employee who was well trained, agency lost op for comission, and the new company didn't even get her in the end either. silly silly agency staff member (it was a mistake and they apologised.. but.. hmmm)