Turning over a new leaf
November 2, 2012 5:11 PM Subscribe
If I'm not able to get good references from my previous employers, what can I do to move forward?
I must provide three references from past employers, but for a variety of reasons, they cannot provide me with good references. How can I move past this? I would explain during the interview why my previous stints didn't work out, but I don't want to seem negative or difficult to work with before they even check my references. Next time, should I explain during the interview?
Everything has lined up, including a good conversation and rapport during the interview, except references. So I feel tied to my last internship and cannot move beyond it. Help me turn over a new leaf please!
I must provide three references from past employers, but for a variety of reasons, they cannot provide me with good references. How can I move past this? I would explain during the interview why my previous stints didn't work out, but I don't want to seem negative or difficult to work with before they even check my references. Next time, should I explain during the interview?
Everything has lined up, including a good conversation and rapport during the interview, except references. So I feel tied to my last internship and cannot move beyond it. Help me turn over a new leaf please!
You can't avoid providing the references. Give the names and contact information, but add as to each that you do not expect a favorable report, and why.
And yes, next time I would give a warning about this during the interview, and an explanation as to why you are confident the past problems will not recur.
To move past this, I think if at all possible that you need to talk to your past employers about what you have done to address those past problems. That, hopefully, will mitigate what they will say to a prospective new employer.
posted by bearwife at 5:26 PM on November 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
And yes, next time I would give a warning about this during the interview, and an explanation as to why you are confident the past problems will not recur.
To move past this, I think if at all possible that you need to talk to your past employers about what you have done to address those past problems. That, hopefully, will mitigate what they will say to a prospective new employer.
posted by bearwife at 5:26 PM on November 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Well, there are a couple of reasons why you can't get good references and they have different workarounds:
- You and your boss/team hated each other: Use the most corporate bland Human Resources number you can as your reference. The goal is to get a "our policy is to confirm dates of employment and eligibility for rehire" kind of reference. This works great at big companies, less great at very small ones.
- You got fired for cause and HR would not try too hard to conceal that: Find a colleague - maybe not a supervisor, someone sympathetic - talk to them FIRST and make sure they're ok with it, and then use them. You're under no obligation to provide your direct superior as a reference, so this is where to get creative.
If there was a Really Bad Scene at one of these jobs, and there's any possibility of skipping it entirely, do so. Otherwise, some combination of the above (you may well have to do both if you only have one past job, period) will be your best bet.
posted by restless_nomad at 5:28 PM on November 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
- You and your boss/team hated each other: Use the most corporate bland Human Resources number you can as your reference. The goal is to get a "our policy is to confirm dates of employment and eligibility for rehire" kind of reference. This works great at big companies, less great at very small ones.
- You got fired for cause and HR would not try too hard to conceal that: Find a colleague - maybe not a supervisor, someone sympathetic - talk to them FIRST and make sure they're ok with it, and then use them. You're under no obligation to provide your direct superior as a reference, so this is where to get creative.
If there was a Really Bad Scene at one of these jobs, and there's any possibility of skipping it entirely, do so. Otherwise, some combination of the above (you may well have to do both if you only have one past job, period) will be your best bet.
posted by restless_nomad at 5:28 PM on November 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
P.S. I do check references -- many employers do -- and I can tell you that negative undisclosed information will put the kibosh on my interest in someone I would otherwise have taken a chance on and hired. I also make sure I am talking to someone who actually supervised the prospective employee.
posted by bearwife at 5:28 PM on November 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by bearwife at 5:28 PM on November 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
Sometimes (in my experience, a lot of the time!) references aren't even checked. I used to do web development as a contractor, thus I was applying for projects on a not-infrequent basis, and I can't tell you how many times I asked people to be references, only to have them tell me later that they'd never even been called. This includes for multiple jobs I was hired for.
posted by parrot_person at 6:19 PM on November 2, 2012
posted by parrot_person at 6:19 PM on November 2, 2012
In my experience, recruiting agencies rarely check references when they are trying to place someone at a company in a contract job (even when you want them to!).
posted by Houstonian at 6:21 PM on November 2, 2012
posted by Houstonian at 6:21 PM on November 2, 2012
FWIW, a lot of companies don't bother checking references, for the simple reason that people only list references that will give them a glowing review (or "official" contacts, who out of fear of getting sued will usually just give name/rank/serial number and refuse to comment on anything else).
Out of every job I've ever applied for (and I've found myself unemployed for a while during the last two big crashes, tech and real-estate, so quite a lot of them), I've had only one prospective employer actually check my references (and only about a quarter even ask for them) - A state agency. And they asked the most inane questions... For example, as one of my references, I gave a friend that had "supervised" me doing remote contracting work; the interviewer asked him sixty ways to Sunday about whether or not I showed up on time every day and how much sick time I took.
posted by pla at 6:33 AM on November 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Out of every job I've ever applied for (and I've found myself unemployed for a while during the last two big crashes, tech and real-estate, so quite a lot of them), I've had only one prospective employer actually check my references (and only about a quarter even ask for them) - A state agency. And they asked the most inane questions... For example, as one of my references, I gave a friend that had "supervised" me doing remote contracting work; the interviewer asked him sixty ways to Sunday about whether or not I showed up on time every day and how much sick time I took.
posted by pla at 6:33 AM on November 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've given a reference as a co-worker for a friend of mine. (I was completely honest.)
Most of the time the hiring company just verifies that you worked at the buisness, in your title, and if you are eligible for re-hire.
I would encourage you to understand what it is about you, the jobs you choose and the fact that you have had three jobs where you feel that you can't ask for a reference.
If one man calls you an ass, hit him. If two men call you an ass, buy a saddle.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:49 AM on November 3, 2012 [3 favorites]
Most of the time the hiring company just verifies that you worked at the buisness, in your title, and if you are eligible for re-hire.
I would encourage you to understand what it is about you, the jobs you choose and the fact that you have had three jobs where you feel that you can't ask for a reference.
If one man calls you an ass, hit him. If two men call you an ass, buy a saddle.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:49 AM on November 3, 2012 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
1) You get to cherrypick your references. It doesn't have to be your last three jobs, just three people who can say good things about you.
2) It doesn't have to be the "big boss" or your immediate boss. Was there anyone at these jobs in a supervisory position who liked you or who could call a friend? Use them.
Definitely don't bring it up in an interview! Checking references is usually a last step where they already want to hire you, and they're just checking for big red flags. Do well in the interview and you've won 90% of the battle. Then worry about the references. I've left plenty of jobs under a cloud, but I always had good references, because I either used my friends there, or just didn't use a reference from that particular job.
posted by drjimmy11 at 5:24 PM on November 2, 2012 [6 favorites]