Have to turn job down due to not being able to provide reference?

Arcana

Ok, I've been offered a job starting Monday.
They want 3 years of work reference - sorted.
They also want a personal reference - first I picked the company I worked for for 6 years' MD. But I can't use him as he's also a work reference. But as we were only 4 in the company there's no one else I can use.
Then I used my doctor, which I've been with only 6 month, so that wasn't good enough either. Old doctor don't have my on the books anymore so can't use them either.

Problem is, I don't really know anyone else I can use.
I don't have a dentist, or a bank manager. Haven't been in education for 8 years, so can't use a teacher.
Local MP? Seems a bit over the top and will probably take a week - oh, and he doesn't know me either.
Any ideas?

macalacka

Firstly don't decline the job! It's only a reference. A personal reference can be a long standing friend. Work one's are the important ones. I am assuming you have only been sent a letter or form for your references so far? if so, type on here what it says.

Arcana

They have approved all 3 work references - well, I presume so as they haven't mentioned anything.

This is the email I received back... '[FONT=&quot]Your personal reference unfortunately doesn’t satisfy the criteria for a personal referee – this needs to be someone who holds a position of standing i.e. one of the occupations below and has been known to you for more than 3 years.'

So it can't be a friend, unless he/she has one of the positions listed which is a long list ranging from chemist to solicitor and MP.
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JamesK10

Hmmm...is Teacher on the list and if so, do you know any? (Including if you have kids yourself at a school).

david39

.... or a civil servant - my wife works as a part-time clerk at the local magistrate's court and she has sometimes been asked to give references - as a job title she puts something like "Court Official" which seems to satisfy them.

Other such posts could be backroom workers in the police or fire departments or a hospital worker. Just make the title sound a little grander than it is, without actually lying.

Arcana

My son's teachers....but I don't have any of my own teachers.
Don't really know his teachers anyway as they seem to change all the time.

Problem is...I don't really know any people other a couple of people just out of uni and a few unemployed people.

MrSnuggles

Register with a job agency and get your careers advisor to lie for you, pretending s/he's known you for 3 years. Most of the time they'll be happy to lie for you because if you get a job whilst registered with them, they get commission. Not ethical but who cares!

[Deleted User]

Parent? Landlord? Any of your friends in 'respectable' jobs?

j.e.j.

Is it the norm these days that a character/personal reference has to come from someone of standing or in one of the professions? I know when I was working a character reference just had to come from someone who knows you well. Perhaps people were just getting their mate up the road to write them a glowing reference and so things have changed now.

OP just a thought, but is there anyone you used to work with who might have a wife/husband/friend who is in one of the named professions, and who knows you?

It is really tricky and it can put off genuine applicants, I think. After all, not everyone is going to know a judge/teacher/dentist, etc personally and it's not a good use of a doctor's time to be writing references for patients!

Good luck, and hope you manage to get a reference from someone somewhere!

Arcana

My parents don't live in this country, no friends in respectable jobs and as this is a job agency and not keen on registering with another one and lying as I don't know how well they are connected.

j.e.j... apart from 2 other jobs I've had the last year I've worked for the same company for 6 years, and there was only 3 other employees (1 being the boss), so no one can provide any references there.

Caroline_a

Are you saying an employment agency needs all these references?? Good lord, I've only ever given them the last company I worked for. Tell them the truth, if you don't know any 'professionals' then you don't know them. They've had satisfactory work references, what more do they want!!