Old boss has stopped giving me a reference

LegacyUser

I've been unemployed for a considerable amount of time. I worked somewhere for almost a year on a contract basis. The manager agreed to give me a reference but his language skills and manner weren't the best. He is also quite a selfish person. I was offered an interview based on the receipt of a reference from this referee. I didn't get an interview. He indicated to me that he hadn't spent that much time filling out the form and seemed a little embarrassed. He asked me to write my own reference which I did and I gave it to him.

Since then I worked on a three month temp contract and then I worked for a recruitment agency.

I wanted to retain my previous employers reference and the three month temp contract reference as it would be a better reference than a recruitment agency would supply me with. I've been working with the recruitment agency for a couple of months now and they contacted me to tell me they had emailed and written a letter asking for a reference but my old boss is ignoring these requests. I didn't get an interview for a recent job who seemed to be looking for a reference and I assume they weren't able to get in touch either. I am still waiting on the outcome of an interview. They said that I would hear last week but now I'm wondering if they are also having difficulty getting a reference.

I know it's a pain in the arse having to supply so many references. Nowadays people want references before they even invite you to interview. I also had to withdraw from an interview process as the notice was too short and I couldn't make it to the interview, that means I have to go on putting these people down as referees.

What can I do about this? Should I just remove him from my list of referees and let the recruitment agency provide me with a crappy 'He worked here between this date and that date' type reference.

Lux23

I would supply as many references as you can, I always send four and put the ones that I know will be awkward at the bottom. But if your man is really useless at this, then what's the point of using him over the recruitment agency?

bmm

Do a reference up yourself on behalf of X . Send X a copy and ask whether the reference you wrote on X's behalf can be used to apply for a job at Y. Keep ringing X for a simple Yes or No. Repeat for other referee's . Good luck !

tenifan

I wouldn't blame your old boss.
You should have asked him for a written reference (the one you wrote yourself & asked him to sign it), provided the potential employer with a copy, and kept the original yourself.
Any subsequent time you were asked for a written reference, you just had to produce the reference.
I understand some agencies or employers still might want to write to your old boss, but others will be happy with the reference you provided and perhaps a phonecall to your old boss.
Ah well you live and learn.

LegacyUser

In relation to the advice telling me to get a written reference. None of the places I am applying seem to facilitate that kind of reference. On the forms they want name, address, email address, telephone number. If I showed up at the interview with a written reference I'm not sure it would go down well. The only time I ever got a written reference was years ago after working in a shop and applications were mainly via letter.

The places I apply to have large H.R. departments and procedures so I don't see them taking too kindly to that. I don't think I'm naive in the slightest when it comes to applications

I'm not sure what else I can do. I wrote my own reference for him which he approved. Perhaps I should sit beside him holding his hand whilst he copies and pastes it into an email.

Mrs OBumble

tenifan wrote: »

You should have asked him for a written reference (the one you wrote yourself & asked him to sign it), provided the potential employer with a copy, and kept the original yourself.
Any subsequent time you were asked for a written reference, you just had to produce the reference.

Apart from a few public-sector employers, most places don't regard written references as worth bothering with: what they want are contact details for referees, ie people who they can speak to, to validate your claims. Some might ask for Certificate of Service, too, which states dates and job-titles - but that is not a reference.

OP - just stop giving the old boss as a referee. No point giving someone who you cannot rely on. Is there anyone else from that workplace who could be a referee for you instead?

LegacyUser

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Apart from a few public-sector employers, most places don't regard written references as worth bothering with: what they want are contact details for referees, ie people who they can speak to, to validate your claims. Some might ask for Certificate of Service, too, which states dates and job-titles - but that is not a reference.

OP - just stop giving the old boss as a referee. No point giving someone who you cannot rely on. Is there anyone else from that workplace who could be a referee for you instead?

I have contacted his boss to ask if I can put her as a reference instead of him but she hasn't replied. I didn't work with her. She is very efficient and a nice person. I assume she is either ignoring my request or told him to cop on and left it at that. Telling him to cop on would only make him more stubborn and less likely to budge. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to contact their h.r. department and I don't want to contact him because I'm pretty sure he would be confrontational.

tenifan

My experience is when someone wants to hire fast, they like to see the written references. Of course they might follow them up with a phone call or email (due diligence and all) but it definitely doesn't hurt to have written references.

InReality

onpurpose wrote: »

I have contacted his boss to ask if I can put her as a reference instead of him but she hasn't replied. I didn't work with her. She is very efficient and a nice person. I assume she is either ignoring my request or told him to cop on and left it at that. Telling him to cop on would only make him more stubborn and less likely to budge. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to contact their h.r. department and I don't want to contact him because I'm pretty sure he would be confrontational.

I don't really see how this follows what Mrsbumble said ? I wouldn't be trying to force a reference from anyone

I'd write off your old boss , ask someone else you worked with for a character reference.