References - can this help land a job?

MissSarah1972

Wyndham wrote: »

You should mention redundancy in your covering letter if you want to. The reference doesn't help at interview stage, and feels a bit odd to me.

It is in my covering letter but I bet they do not believe it. Anyone could say they were made redundant.

LittleVoice

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

Yes it could be but they always follow them up to get their own.

So you are agreeing with the scooby088 post you quoted then?

MissSarah1972

LittleVoice wrote: »

So you are agreeing with the scooby088 post you quoted then?

I am agreeing that some references could be forged but mine say that they can confirm all the details on it and gives the persons company email, direct line and position held at the company. Both my references are scanned in colour.

Are you all saying I should not send mine as they could be seen as fakes?

princessdon

I wouldn't read them as an employer, they are irrelevant as the data I require may not be in there.

A personal statement is all good and well but doesn't tell me the amount of time of work, punctuality, how they fit the work I want them to do.

Some companies may want it, but most won't "use them" as they will have questions relevant to their organisations only.

That said if it is the difference between an interview or not - then no harm done and may make you stand out - negatives is that it may make you appear desparate to some, but that would be the minority.

MissSarah1972

princessdon wrote: »

I wouldn't read them as an employer, they are irrelevant as the data I require may not be in there.

A personal statement is all good and well but doesn't tell me the amount of time of work, punctuality, how they fit the work I want them to do.

Some companies may want it, but most won't "use them" as they will have questions relevant to their organisations only.

That said if it is the difference between an interview or not - then no harm done and may make you stand out - negatives is that it may make you appear desparate to some, but that would be the minority.

My old company do not give a full reference to anyone but only confirm the dates worked, what your job title was, dates workedand a line about my integrity and that they know of no reason to question it.

If any employer wrote they would get the sameas I have seen one they provided to an agency & it's the same as the one I have.

I may then think about bothering to send it as I do not want to sound desperate

LittleVoice

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

I am agreeing that some references could be forged but mine say that they can confirm all the details on it and gives the persons company email, direct line and position held at the company. Both my references are scanned in colour.

Are you all saying I should not send mine as they could be seen as fakes?

I'd say that including them with your CV and covering letter is wasteful if you are sending them a hard copy and still more than is required for an email application.

If you leave because of redundancy (and there's a lot of it about), it is no more initially questionable as being the true reason than if you said you were looking to further your experience or whatever.

In fact those questions of "why are you leaving?" normally come up at interviews rather than initial application (except when completing application forms where there may be a "reason for leaving" section). So I'd suggest taking copies with you to an interview so you can produce them if it seems appropriate but not include them with an application.

In the covering letter just be positive about your interest in the prospective employer's organisation and the vacant post.

Wyndham

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

It is in my covering letter but I bet they do not believe it. Anyone could say they were made redundant.

They could - but I'd ask you about it at interview. And you may not get an interview if you include a reference which really isn't the standard thing to do, so marks you out as being a bit 'odd'. Not saying that if you have the skills you won't make my shortlist, but if I can interview 6 and I'm down to 7, that might actually tip it against you for me. Sorry to be brutal (and I've been made redundant, so I do understand, but it didn't occur to me to do anything other than state the facts).

MissSarah1972

Wyndham wrote: »

They could - but I'd ask you about it at interview. And you may not get an interview if you include a reference which really isn't the standard thing to do, so marks you out as being a bit 'odd'. Not saying that if you have the skills you won't make my shortlist, but if I can interview 6 and I'm down to 7, that might actually tip it against you for me. Sorry to be brutal (and I've been made redundant, so I do understand, but it didn't occur to me to do anything other than state the facts).

How long were you out of work for? After a while did you not think you needed something to supoprt your applications? Would you think the person unemployable if they were looking for a job for a while with no luck? Employers do think this and that there is something wrong with you hence me getting one off my old employer a few months ago.

I take what you and LittleVoice have said onboard but I have got two interviews since attaching them but would probably think about not doing it anymore.

Wyndham

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

How long were you out of work for? After a while did you not think you needed something to supoprt your applications? Would you think the person unemployable if they were looking for a job for a while with no luck? Employers do think this and that there is something wrong with you hence me getting one off my old employer a few months ago.

I take what you and LittleVoice have said onboard but I have got two interviews since attaching them but would probably think about not doing it anymore.

I wasn't out of work. I made sure that every job application I made was relevant to the job in question, and ended up with two offers to choose between. That is much more important than the references.

scooby088

In the jobs I have had my references have never been taken up and I know of very little of the companies I have interviewed for would bother taking them up and they never ask for them off me.