Reference dilemma

TOTAL

Hi

I ended the third job in my life with very bad image. Without getting into details, my story is that one influential person turned one-by-one each of my teammates against me. I was being professional as much as I could but I would not show the kind of submission he expects from everyone.

What matters now is that I suspect that I could be getting bad references - if only between the lines. I have applied to many employers but have not got any invitations to interviews.
Surely, I can not tell why.

However, I was thinking what kind of options I have with regards to references.

My employment history is as follows:

1. 5 months for one company

relocation to a different city

2. 3 months for another - a summer contract

3. 18 months of very hard work, mostly appreciated, but near the end my popularity went down. I suspect the line manager might be capable of giving me a bad reference - and getting away with it

New employers usually ask for two references. What can I do? Does it make sense at all to bypass the most recent one? This was the longest contract and most recent.

Mersey_2

These days employers tend to give limited references detailing the length of service, salary and reason for leaving (usually resignation).


It would be defamatory (and actionable if untrue) if your old boss said something in writing as bad as you may suspect. Clearly it will be more difficult to prove if this was said in a 'phone call.


I'm assuming you resigned? If there was no disciplinary action I wouldn't worry and it may just be paranoia because of what went on.

Bogalot

It would be unusual for referees to be contacted before interview, let alone before an invite to interview. Your employment history is very slim, are you newly out of education?

Look at agencies for temporary work to build your cv up.

(Is English your first language? If not, get someone to check your cv and phrase things more naturally.)

steampowered

It would look very unusual to leave off a reference from your last employer. A reference is likely to be required in any event to verify your work history.

[Deleted User]

Excluding real official checks and 5/10 year checks and so on, I found it can take around 24 months after leaving for a dead cert reference required to drop off.

Left a company with no notice (their claim with a disagreement at end of employment) in 2014 almost certainly not hindered by it now but as you can imagine I knew they weren't ever really a viable option to be requesting anything of - The time I did need a reference within the 2 years I was prepared to provide payslips which showed what happened as it got coded onto the final and very fortunately kept in touch with who was the direct supervisor and as had left company themselves was accepted as okay to write once when I really needed it. I did think a couple of times over the years about apologising but I think they are more likely to go who! I'm not sure it would change anything.

You don't get reference comments read back now just yes we have references back or no we don't. The only exception is perhaps care and dealing with vulnerable as I remember a few lines being read out in 2012 during an interview. That was the last time ever though.

Maybe silly I often wondered whose responsibility it was say if a company moved premises and you never worked/had any correspondence at the new address. Is it the requester to find out or ex employee to be stalking as that was also something that nearly arose for me.

TOTAL

Thanks everyone.
No disciplinary action. I resigned seven days before the end of temporary contract with seven days' notice. What I did that I suppose may have been a bad mistake was described mobbing that had been happening. I described in detail who and how led all the rest.

The line manager I described as one of the victims.

No calling referees before the fist interview? I did not know about it. Could it really be 'paranoia' what I am thinking of it?

Bogalot

TOTAL wrote: »

Thanks everyone.
No disciplinary action. I resigned seven days before the end of temporary contract with seven days' notice. What I did that I suppose may have been a bad mistake was described mobbing that had been happening. I described in detail who and how led all the rest.

The line manager I described as one of the victims.

No calling referees before the fist interview? I did not know about it. Could it really be 'paranoia' what I am thinking of it?

Are you going to ask someone to check your cv over? Your English is not bad but it is very stilted, if you are looking for admin roles it will put employers off.

leslieknope

it's unlikely any employer would ask for a reference before even interviewing you. that's a complete waste of resources. even in care work or with vulnerable young people they ask for the references after the interview and a job offer, but the offer usually states that you must return X amount of references or the offer will be withdrawn.

and normally references are very basic information. if you resigned in the correct manner and were not found guilty of gross misconduct, there is little they can legally do to harm your future employment opportunities. i suspect the barrier to you getting to interview is your lack of work history, unless this is because of education?

TOTAL

History. It might be that in December and January are bad months for jobhunters, aren't they?
Or there is something wrong in my strategy.


**

I have had my CVs checked by a number of people, including National Careers Advisors, however, when I left several obvious grammatical mistakes noone spotted them.

That might be a valid point, especially, given that it is not only CV, but also cover letter. So far, in all my UK workplaces, I have been hearing my English was the best they had heard in a foreigner. Maybe they were just being nice.

Mersey_2

Yes, that's also true - bad time of year - a lot of firms effectively close down for a fortnight for the holiday period and even before then HR are probably more concerned with a Christmas social than holding interviews.

TOTAL

Thanks everyone. I guess I will need to start a new thread on how to identify employers worth sending a speculative CV