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

Marcon

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:)

The only way to ensure a potential employer doesn't contact your current employer 'prematurely' is to omit a contact name/email/telephone number AND add a sentence explaining that you would prefer references to be taken up only when a job offer has actually been made.

You'll need to give the name of your employer's firm, or your cv is going to look a bit threadbare!

General_Grant

I wouldn't waste space on my CV in mentioning references.  Use the space to provide information about your experience.  
CV to be 2 sides of A4, not longer (unless you are something like an IT developer who needs to list programs they have worked on).

Savvy_Sue

Exodi said:

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.

I think it very much depends on the line of work you're in. I have not had that many employers, but every single one has taken up references. They haven't always been received before the employee starts, but they have been noted. If they don't arrive, the employee will be asked to provide an alternative. 

Will never forget the day a fairly new colleague just didn't turn up, and didn't phone in either, and by pure happenstance the former employer's reference arrived. I paraphrase, but "X resigned before we dismissed them for poor timekeeping" would be a reasonable summary. 

Eventually, I think they turned up either very late, or the next day. Bear in mind this is in the days before we all had mobile phones, and you didn't necessarily have a landline either (yes, I am THAT old!). They'd had a fairly catastrophic flood in their flat, and apart from going to the phone box to call the landlord / a plumber, they hadn't dared leave the flat in case the plumber came or all the buckets overflowed while they were out. Yes, they should have called work, but they hadn't taken the work phone no. out with them, and they were so new they didn't know it off by heart. 

And their explanation for the reference? Like other employees, this was not their only job (another colleague was a semi-professional poker player!), and in this case they were also in a band. They needed something to supplement that, and there was no flexibility with the previous job (whereas we had flexitime). We took the chance, and they were quickly a valuable member of the team. 

DidleySquat

kimwp said:

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?

Hi 
Thanks for the reply.
I haven't actually even had an interview yet, I'm still at the filling out of a new CV after so many years. 
As for telling others in my workplace, I feel that I would be in a  better position to keep it  myself.  I could ask a family friend who has always known me and knows my character, but is that enough?
In answer to your question about  why I'm asking as to what a potential employer would ask, is that, if it was only dates and sickness/attendance information, then perhaps it would only stay within the Personnel Dept (I work within a large organisation).

DidleySquat

Thanks all for your comments - they are really helpful    I think then the best tack then is to enter 'Reference available on request' when/if actually offered a position and if they require two, then I will go down the family friend route.  

Savvy_Sue

DidleySquat said:

As for telling others in my workplace, I feel that I would be in a  better position to keep it  myself.  

Oh definitely: if you don't tell anyone else you are thinking of moving on, they can't possibly let it slip. 

DidleySquat said:

I could ask a family friend who has always known me and knows my character, but is that enough?

In answer to your question about  why I'm asking as to what a potential employer would ask, is that, if it was only dates and sickness/attendance information, then perhaps it would only stay within the Personnel Dept (I work within a large organisation).

It should be possible to find out what reference policy your organisation has: where there's a Personnel or HR Dept it's often the case that they and ONLY they are supposed to respond to references. They may ask for input from your line manager, or they may not - if they're only confirming your employment dates and role then they'll have that information. And note that employers are not supposed to ask for any information about sickness before they've made you an offer - and by that point you'll have had a chance to mitigate any nasties which might turn up! 

DullGreyGuy

DidleySquat said:

Thanks all for your comments - they are really helpful    I think then the best tack then is to enter 'Reference available on request' when/if actually offered a position and if they require two, then I will go down the family friend route.  

You speak to them... they've selected you knowing you've done 25 years with one company and so aren't going to have dozens of former employers to take references from. They'll advise who'll they'll accept in your circumstances. Generally family and friends aren't great and generally if thats all there is then wouldn't bother getting the reference. More often its asking a colleague to give a personal reference or something else depending on what you do for work (eg regular client) or fun (eg a club member)

TBagpuss

DidleySquat said:

kimwp said:

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?

Hi 
Thanks for the reply.
I haven't actually even had an interview yet, I'm still at the filling out of a new CV after so many years. 
As for telling others in my workplace, I feel that I would be in a  better position to keep it  myself.  I could ask a family friend who has always known me and knows my character, but is that enough?
In answer to your question about  why I'm asking as to what a potential employer would ask, is that, if it was only dates and sickness/attendance information, then perhaps it would only stay within the Personnel Dept (I work within a large organisation).

FOr a CV, put 'references on request' and if you are invited to an interview you can explainthat you are fine forthem to contact your current employer if/when an offer has been accepted. 

DullGreyGuy

TBagpuss said:

DidleySquat said:

kimwp said:

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?

Hi 
Thanks for the reply.
I haven't actually even had an interview yet, I'm still at the filling out of a new CV after so many years. 
As for telling others in my workplace, I feel that I would be in a  better position to keep it  myself.  I could ask a family friend who has always known me and knows my character, but is that enough?
In answer to your question about  why I'm asking as to what a potential employer would ask, is that, if it was only dates and sickness/attendance information, then perhaps it would only stay within the Personnel Dept (I work within a large organisation).

FOr a CV, put 'references on request' and if you are invited to an interview you can explainthat you are fine forthem to contact your current employer if/when an offer has been accepted. 

Do you really think it's necessary to put it on a CV @TBagpuss? Cant say I've ever done it and can its got to be less than 5% of CVs I've seen that says it. To me its a given that references are available on request and would be shocked if any candidate, when requested, said they aren't prepared to give references because it didnt say on their CV that they were. 

General_Grant

DullGreyGuy said:

TBagpuss said:

DidleySquat said:

kimwp said:

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?

Hi 
Thanks for the reply.
I haven't actually even had an interview yet, I'm still at the filling out of a new CV after so many years. 
As for telling others in my workplace, I feel that I would be in a  better position to keep it  myself.  I could ask a family friend who has always known me and knows my character, but is that enough?
In answer to your question about  why I'm asking as to what a potential employer would ask, is that, if it was only dates and sickness/attendance information, then perhaps it would only stay within the Personnel Dept (I work within a large organisation).

FOr a CV, put 'references on request' and if you are invited to an interview you can explainthat you are fine forthem to contact your current employer if/when an offer has been accepted. 

Do you really think it's necessary to put it on a CV @TBagpuss? Cant say I've ever done it and can its got to be less than 5% of CVs I've seen that says it. To me its a given that references are available on request and would be shocked if any candidate, when requested, said they aren't prepared to give references because it didnt say on their CV that they were. 

I have seen "References on Request" on CVs but when I was professionally giving CV advice gave advice as posted above and repeated here -

General_Grant said:

I wouldn't waste space on my CV in mentioning references.  Use the space to provide information about your experience.  
CV to be 2 sides of A4, not longer (unless you are something like an IT developer who needs to list programs they have worked on).