No references! (In current job 25 plus years!)

DidleySquat

Hi - After 25 plus years I've had enough of working for my current employer and I'm seriously thinking of moving onto somewhere else which is scarey enough, but when writing up my CV again, I've got to the part where I have to enter references.
My previous employer to my current one doesn't exist anymore and I don't really want my current employer to know that I'm leaving.
If I enter just my current employer, will contact only be made if I actually get offered the job and is that only to confirm that I actually work there?
I would be grateful for any advice on this.
Thanks:)

kimwp

What kind of references are they asking for? If it's specific people, is there anyone at work who you trust to keep the news to themselves? Or anyone outside work you could use? Why does it matter what they ask about?

EnPointe

Generally References are only taken up when an Offer is  being made 

Savvy_Sue

If it's a CV, you could just put "references available on request", and don't give them out until at least you've had an interview. 

In your situation I'd also be looking for a personal referee, someone who knows you outside work but who can comment on your reliability, integrity etc, for example, if you've done any volunteering, or are an active member of a club. Any new employer would realise that a reference from somewhere you worked 25 years ago isn't going to be worth much. 

LightFlare

Savvy_Sue said:

If it's a CV, you could just put "references available on request", and don't give them out until at least you've had an interview. 

In your situation I'd also be looking for a personal referee, someone who knows you outside work but who can comment on your reliability, integrity etc, for example, if you've done any volunteering, or are an active member of a club. Any new employer would realise that a reference from somewhere you worked 25 years ago isn't going to be worth much. 

It very much depends the exact reason the OP does t want their current employer to be aware.

The above would be a bit of a “red flag” to a prospective employer without a good and clear explanation. Especially after 25 years service

TELLIT01

DidleySquat said:

If I enter just my current employer, will contact only be made if I actually get offered the job and is that only to confirm that I actually work there?

You cannot dictate what references the potential new employer may request, or control what the current employer provides.  Many employers will merely state start and end dates plus current job title.  However, they can provide any information they want to as long as it is accurate.

EnPointe

TELLIT01 said:

DidleySquat said:

If I enter just my current employer, will contact only be made if I actually get offered the job and is that only to confirm that I actually work there?

You cannot dictate what references the potential new employer may request, or control what the current employer provides.  Many employers will merely state start and end dates plus current job title.  However, they can provide any information they want to as long as it is accurate.

you are missing the point , the OP is concenred  aobut the  potential epmployer  making an early approach to the current employer  and  the risk this might damage  their  existing relationship with their current employer

EnPointe

LightFlare said:

Savvy_Sue said:

If it's a CV, you could just put "references available on request", and don't give them out until at least you've had an interview. 

In your situation I'd also be looking for a personal referee, someone who knows you outside work but who can comment on your reliability, integrity etc, for example, if you've done any volunteering, or are an active member of a club. Any new employer would realise that a reference from somewhere you worked 25 years ago isn't going to be worth much. 

It very much depends the exact reason the OP does t want their current employer to be aware.

The above would be a bit of a “red flag” to a prospective employer without a good and clear explanation. Especially after 25 years service

I'd consider that to ban overreaction on your behalf   

it may simply be thatthe OP is  making some speculative applications  and hasn;t had   a conversation with their current management  ... 

DullGreyGuy

Have never seen a CV with references on it let alone a "references on request" text. Application forms often ask for them, where forms are used, and some are helpful with a checkbox on if they can be approached in advance or not. 

Your one risk will always be if you work for ABC and the hiring manager is either an ex-ABC employee or has a close associate that currently works at ABC they may decide to reach out for an informal reference from someone they know (in the relatively small world of Insurance this happens a lot) and so the cat is out the bag. 

References are normally formally only taken up after the offer has been accepted but on the basis of some application forms, some at least prefer to do it earlier. 

Exodi

LightFlare said:

Savvy_Sue said:

If it's a CV, you could just put "references available on request", and don't give them out until at least you've had an interview. 

In your situation I'd also be looking for a personal referee, someone who knows you outside work but who can comment on your reliability, integrity etc, for example, if you've done any volunteering, or are an active member of a club. Any new employer would realise that a reference from somewhere you worked 25 years ago isn't going to be worth much. 

It very much depends the exact reason the OP does t want their current employer to be aware.

The above would be a bit of a “red flag” to a prospective employer without a good and clear explanation. Especially after 25 years service

I disagree, it's obvious why people might be hesitant to provide this. Employers obviously totally understand that people wouldn't want their current employers prematurely approached, it's something that can be discussed in the interview. Assuming that the candidate is not refusing to ever provide a reference (which would be a red flag) then there is no drama.

FWIW, back in my 'Del Boy' days when my friend and I were trying our best to quickly climb the career ladder, we listed each other as references, fronting as the relevant manager of eachothers companies (even where we didn't even work for the same company - obviously this is wrong and should not be encouraged). In the years and years we did this, and the countless applications and interviews we did, neither of us was contacted a single time. At least in my anecdotal experience, actually contacting a reference is rare. I think the tale of Mr Old Boss and Mr New Boss engaging in an after-hours off-the-record phone call where they gossip about potential hires is mainly just scaremongering tactics as opposed to being seated in reality.

To bring it back to the OP:

DidleySquat said:

Hi - After 25 plus years I've had enough of working for my current employer and I'm seriously thinking of moving onto somewhere else which is scarey enough, but when writing up my CV again, I've got to the part where I have to enter references.
My previous employer to my current one doesn't exist anymore and I don't really want my current employer to know that I'm leaving.
If I enter just my current employer, will contact only be made if I actually get offered the job and is that only to confirm that I actually work there?
I would be grateful for any advice on this.
Thanks:)

Give your circumstances, no employer would care about your previous job if you've been at your current for 25 years. If you could even remember your mangers name, and by sheer fortune they still work there, it's doubtful they'd remember much of substance about you.

Personally if it's on your CV, then either remove the reference section entirely, or as @Savvy_Sue says - put a line that says 'Reference available on request'.

DullGreyGuy

Exodi said:
Give your circumstances, no employer would care about your previous job if you've been at your current for 25 years. If you could even remember your mangers name, and by sheer fortune they still work there, it's doubtful they'd remember much of substance about you.

These days references are almost exclusively done by HR departments if the company has one and are rarely more than a factual statement of start date, end date, job title when the person left etc. Given GDPR's requirement to minimise data held there should be little/no record of an employee after 25 years after they've left with the only possible exception being around requirements for any occupational pension if the OP was paying into it.