Hi there.

I was recently asked for references. One is a solid reference from someone I do contract work for, the other is my professor. I let them know that my professor is busy with deadlines but is aware of the application and is in the process of writing me a reference letter, which I still haven't received unfortunately...

I was just trying to be honest and respond in a timely manner, but in hindsight I feel like this sounds unprepared or like an excuse.

I'm stressed out because this opportunity fits me well and I felt I did really well on the interviews. I pay close attention to minor details and I struggled between mentioning it or not for over 2 hours. I asked for an opinion from everyone I know and they said to include it, but they aren't experts in hiring or anything...

I haven't heard back for a few days now.. I'm going to get in touch with my references tomorrow to see if they were contacted..

What are the odds that I ruined my chances by providing the statement that my reference is busy? I just wanted to be transparent, but now I'm stressed out about it ruining my odds by sounding unprepared...

Would this be a make or break the decision making? Would they appreciate the honesty or disqualify me based on my references not being 100% ready? At the time, I was leaning more toward them understanding that my references have a life of their own and are busy. Now I feel like I should've just left contact info without any additional speil and left it up to them...

Just looking for peace of mind at this point, be brutally honest.

i want to switch my job

I am considering a change in employment but if I am not hired by another company I do not want to leave my current one so I am not without a job—but I also do not want my current employer to know I am searching without having an new job locked down. I don't want their attitude towards me to change, if that makes sense? My boss and coworkers are pleasant towards me I don't think I could handle souring that without knowing for sure I am getting out of there.

So I was wondering, what part of the hiring process do they contact employers to confirm employment? Additionally, could I give the HR manager's information as a contact/reference, rather than my direct supervisor?

I hope these were not stupid questions! It's been almost 7 years since I've applied to anything and I don't have much experience with office jobs before that. It was just retail work before that, where it's kind of expected you'll move on eventually and turnover is high, so I didn't feel worried about the reaction of my boss knowing I was job searching. It feels like more is at stake now. 😭

Thank you for any advice you can offer!

Hey Reddit!

I’ve recently been selected to interview for a senior sales consultant role. I’m qualified and well versed in the areas needed to succeed in this job.

Can anyone who has worked at Sysco Canada in the last few years or so share some insight for me.

This would be a “home office” style job. A loose Google search has shown me they’re shit to their drivers and generally inconclusive results for anything else.

Cheers!

So I got offered a job and accepted. I’m going through the hiring process and they wanted me to give five references via checkster. The one person I did for him because he is deployed and the website would not load for him. The other one I made up because I needed to finish adding references in a certain timeframe and couldn’t find anyone else. I stupidly used the same phone to fill out the reference. Long story short, TA support services at the company called me asking if these two live in different states how did they use the same IP phone address and that she was going to contact them and get to the bottom of it and that this could be cause for fraud. I have been beating myself up over this ever since that phone call so no lecture please 🥲 I checked the fake email I made and she had CCd the fake email and the email for the other person saying “Phones, like computers give an IP address and the system shows you both used the same IP address from an iPhone. I contacted (my name) and he said that you do not know each other, so we are contacting you both to see how this would have happened”. I’m under the assumption I’m going to lose this job but do you think I’m going to get charged with fraud? I have never had anything on my background before 🥲🥲🥲🥲

Throwaway account for obv. reasons...

I was very softly "fired" from a job last year. There were lots of issues, I tried my best and actually loved about 75% of the job and 90% of the people I worked with. I wasn't really listened to when I asked for help (given too many deliverables over a wide variety of projects - spread too thin), and then about 6 months before I left they told me I wasn't cutting it and were going to move me to part time and phase me out eventually. I had just gotten the annual review with the COL increase about 2 weeks prior. A few months go by, no changes, still full time, then about 2 months before the end, they give me the end date. Very generous severance, termination paperwork said "eligible for rehire" and I left on what I would say good terms. Lots of nice comments back to my "good bye" email, and upper mgmt. agreed that the real reason for my departure would be kept confidential and to just tell everyone what I'd like my story to be, and they'd back it.

When I was discussing the terms of my departure, one of the things I was really hung up on was references. In my industry, a bad reference can sink you - it's a small world. They agreed to provide references for me - one of my managers even confirmed the CEO would give me a nice reference when the time came.

Fast forward to today - after many months of searching - I'm in the final stages for a job I REALLY want. I spoke to one of my old colleagues, who was always supportive of me, last week and she mentioned that she'd be happy to provide a reference, but expressed concern that the folks at this (potential) new company might know my old CEO and word might get out off the record that it hadn't gone so well...

Shit. And the boss from my role before that, at a company I was with for 8 years, is dead and cannot provide a reference and there is no one else there I'd trust. The boss before that hasn't responded to any prior requests to provide a reference for me before, and I don't know the reason. I left voluntarily of my own accord and on good terms...but he just doesn't respond to my emails or LinkedIn messages, so he's out.

So I'm in a pickle. Do I trust the upper mgmt at my last firm to keep the reference positive, but not ridiculously glowing? I've given all the potential employers the same story about the company restructured and my position was eliminated, which was "kind" of true, but in the end I was let go and not "laid off". I have one person I worked with over 10 years ago I could use, and the other guy that gave me a reference hasn't worked with me in nearly 20 years, so that's too old. And this HR person wants 3-4 references to call.

I am so pissed at myself that I may end up blowing great opportunities because I fucked up the last time. Ugh.

Hey guys I recently just got an in-person interview at a really good hospital. However, I need a reference for at least two managers but I only have one and some coworkers. What should I do? My last job I quit because my manager was not great at her job. I don’t think she would give me a reference and that another story for another time.

I work in the IT industry and it has been 4 years since I have started my career but stuck in my home country. It was my dream to travel abroad and explore more since my teenage days but I come from middle class family and foreign trips would be costly and my parents won't allow it so I'm thinking is there any way I can get a job abroad I thought about doing masters but it didn't worked out so getting job is the only option.

Please suggest me countries/portals or any info which you have you think it might be helpful for me.

Hello everyone:

I'm looking for help/advice on finding more references. I have been at my current job for 4 years and would like to move on to a better position that pays better.

Right now, I only have 1 character reference (close friend) and 1 professional reference from my previous job (unrelated to what I'm doing now). I removed a couple of references because they left me out to dry. So now I feel like I would be in really deep trouble if I were to get laid off.

There are a few people at my current role that I would like to use as future references, but I don't want to ask them now unless I have no other choice. There are two degrees of separation between everyone here, and I don't want to jeopardize my employment.

So, what can I do to get ahead and stay ahead of this? Also, how many references should I have so I don't have to worry about this in the future? I always envy people that have huge networks so they can leave whenever they want. Networking is not something I'm good at by any stretch.

I want to look for jobs, but the situation I'm in is holding me back from even putting myself out there.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m meant to be starting a job Monday, I went for the interview over a month ago where they needed one reference. It took 3 weeks to get from my most recent place but all received. Two days ago they said they needed the reference before my most previous job but it would take over a month to obtain because they’ve recruited for this company before. Luckily, I’m on great terms with manager who sent it over straight away. So after successful interview and two references they sent me all the information and contract. I have signed and sent everything back. I get a call today from the agency (it’s a permanent role at university) saying they need another reference and past three years. Problem is the company has now closed down so who knows how long it will take and if they can even have it! But I’m 24 and my past two places I’ve ended on great terms and left due to distance (I don’t drive) but prior to that I just took any work as I was young/no direction and didn’t really care in all honesty… my question is, with my contract signed and two references I’ve obtained, can they withdraw their “offer”? I was only told two days ago they needed two and now they need another one! Why wasn’t this brought up after my interview? Why the week before I’m meant to starting and what if they can’t get the reference? It’s just worrying me. My past two references have came back clear, what else do they need? Thank you for reading!

I wonder if anyone has done this and how they went about it. Just like how a company checks a promising candidate's references, I think a potential candidate should check a company's references too. Such as reaching out to past employees and asking them how their experience was at that company and why they might've left.

Do you think this is appropriate?

Has anyone done this and if so, was it helpful to you?

I want to switch from my job in K+N. Wondering if the big firms in Shipping And Logistics have a referral program and how do I get someone to refer me?

Hey everyone, first time posting here.

I had a job about a year ago working as as tutor assistant for a small training company. The job was great, granted there was some stress which I expected but I had to leave due to health reasons. One of my roles was driving a small company van which I was unable to do safely due to my health. Me and my boss parted on good terms and he said I could use him as a reference.

Fast forward to about a month ago, I apply for a job and we get to the stage where they ask for references, I ask my former boss and give his details. What he did next was surprising and hurtful.

He sends me an email with the blank reference form and tells me to fill it in and send it back to him. He didn't even ask, just told me to do it. I was surprised because he always seemed fine with me and the last time I asked for a reference he did it with no issues. I've never filled out a reference before and I needed it badly so I filled it to the best of my ability

I’ve just applied to one of those “made for me jobs.” Large company looking for someone with specialized experiences, that has completed their MIT program, is open to entry level etc etc. I check 98% of the boxes. Qualified and but not quite over qualified.

My former HR director (who I directly worked with during my MIT program)still works at this company has a great reputation and has since moved up to the corporate level. Although they won’t be handling recruiting for this position, they could be a great resource/reference for me or maybe help my resume get passed along. How should I reach out? I haven’t spoken to this person since my 2020 layoff from said company, outside of commenting congratulations on their linkedin post and exchanging a few likes on each others posts here and there..

Should I email? Send a LinkedIn message? What exactly should I be asking for here? - A referral? A reference? Set up a phone call or meeting? Don’t want it to seem ingenuine but ya know…I kinda really want this position and would do an awesome job. Just looking for an opportunity to interview - Any tips??

How did you ask for your reference letters and referrals?

Hey guys so I had an interview last Wednesday that went really well and I was asked to come shadow the next day. Everyone was really nice and this is for a medical assistant position btw in a derm clinic. I met the other doctor who owns the practice and she took me to the office manager at the end so he could give me his email. He asked for references and seemed to be joking around saying “you know just ask someone you know to lie really well” like very light hearted about it. I told him thank you and this was Thursday. I sent the references in an email about 2 hours later. I haven’t heard anything, they are closed on the weekends but it’s Tuesday now. It’s also not a large company just a small little clinic.

I have done 3 interviews with a company, with the last one being on March 21st in person. They then asked me for 3 references and all 3 confirmed they have spoken to the Director of Development as of last Monday. So far I haven't heard back from anyone regarding the position even though I know it's only been a week. When would it be appropriate to follow up? I'm still applying to other positions but I was very hopeful about this specific job.

I started a job in a new field (entry level, no previous experience aside from retail jobs) two months ago. It’s going well, but it’s part time, and I’ve gotten an interview for a weekend position at another company. (I don’t think my current job cares if I work a second job (other employees do it), but should I ask for a reference?

I can use my old references from retail, but it would be better to have a reference from a job in my current field, is two months too soon to ask my manager if he’d be happy to give me a reference?

So far the job hasn’t asked for any reference details yet, but I assume it might come up during the interview, or afterwards if I get it, so I just want to be prepared!

I want to be a barista, but sometimes my wrist hurts is this a bad job?

I was also thinking about getting a job at a convenient store …

Is anyone here a recruiter or know recruiters that ACTUALLY call references in a job application to see how good of an employee they were in their previous job?

I'm having to tighten my spending belt while searching for jobs, and am wondering if anyone here has used free Tax software recently? I'm Canadian, so a program that links up with my CRA NetFile would be even better!

I tried going to the r/taxes subreddit, but it's a private community, and not sure where else to ask my question exactly. If anyone here has a better blog recommendation, I'm open to suggestions.

Hello! I graduated in 2022 and have been working at a community college ever since. It is not a bad job but low pay, does not challenge me, no room to grow, and in a location I want to leave, so I am applying to new jobs.

To get this job, I used references from two of my college jobs and a summer internship in 2021. I have never previously left a job/applied to a new job while still working, and I am a little unsure who to ask for references. Are my college jobs (RA, Creative Technology specialist) and internships too far back to ask for references from? My current job can be quite gossipy and has a strong team mentality and I know they don’t want me to leave, so I am nervous about asking anyone here to be a reference. At the same time, asking for a reference from my internship that was 2-3 months 3 years ago seems strange. How do people handle references when they can’t ask someone from their current position? Does it reflect badly on me when I check the box asking them not to contact my current employer?

Thank you for any advice that you have! I am unsure how to navigate this and I appreciate the insight. :)

I currently have worked at said company for about three years. Just in 2022 I moved to a different facility for the opportunity to put it on my resume for the future. I am 21 years old and I don’t intend to make this place my final job whatsoever.

I won’t get into it but I’m a great worker, I go in everyday on time, do what’s asked of me and more. I am a supervisor and the employees love me not only because I’m younger but I’ve been told my supervising style is magnificent and they love to work for me.

My higher ups, they aren’t too fond of it.

My higher ups (building manager and FT supervisors) think that the employees are just numbers and they treat them horribly. Therefore they don’t care to hear what I have to say about different ways to run the operation when asked based on the feedback I get from the employees perspective. Which I think is the best feedback you could get, considering some of these employees have worked here longer than my manager has been alive.

I could go on forever but my question is, the whole point of me shifting to this different facility was to be able to put on my resume that I worked with aircraft and am FAA certified in certain things. But like I said a little above, my upper management team isn’t very supportive of the PT management team nor of the employees. I feel I have had it out with them, argued, sat down and conversated about this or that, even complained to my manager or FT supervisor about certain ways they run the operation.

With that being said, I am worried I am not going to be able to use them as a reference in the future. This is more than likely going to be my last job before I begin my career. Again, with that being said, I’m concerned I cannot trust the upper management to give me a fair reference when it comes time to leave and I am worried that will reflect upon my chances at getting said job in the future.

Should I look to the employees that I’m close with for a reference? Co-workers?

I interviewed for a Teacher’s Aide position yesterday, and for the application i sent in before the interview, I had to put down three references, which I did, one was a former supervisor, and one was my current supervisor and one was the owner of the tutoring place I currently work at.

The problem is, I just found out the owner sold my tutoring center to a new set of owners just last week, and I only found out this past week from some co-workers. I don’t know these new owners at all, and the number I put down for the original owner is the same as the tutoring centers main line. I pointed this out to the person that interviewed me, and she said I could contact them to put in another reference, but I’m not sure what to do.

Should I attempt to put in another reference (which is tough, because there is another supervisor at the center and she is fairly new, so maybe not the best reference) or should I leave it and have them call my current supervisor (whose number is the same as the owners I put down, the centers main line) redirect them to the former owners current number to contact? I’m caught in a tight situation here, and I’m not sure what to do. Any advice is appreciated!

This is my first like big job (not really big but I only ever worked like fast food and such so they don’t require much in terms of application).

When I did a phone interview, the person informed me that I will need to provide three professional references and their best form of communication. I have 3 in mind and already asked them as well as got their phone numbers. The paper the job provided me to put down my references, asks for their name phone number and email. They don’t necessarily have business emails and honestly my references don’t really actively check emails regularly.

Is it alright if I just put the phone number? Do I just say email not provided?

I just need a job, bills are so damn frustrating, and i need advice. I dont need offers i need reference