Summer Jobs & think old boss is giving me bad ref?

allandanyways

I'm in college and have had a stress-related illness that has prevented me from having a job for the last year. I'd like to get a decent full time job for the summer, but I have one problem...

I left my last job after being diagnosed with the illness. My boss wasn't too happy that I was leaving just before the start of the busy summer season (it was a small bookshop) and never gave me a letter of reference. I haven't spoken to her since, and I'm a bit afraid of the woman to be honest.
I don't know how to get a letter of reference off her but also I'm a bit worried because I applied for about 20 jobs in october when I was in a bit of a financial rut and never heard anything back from anybody. I had put her name and address on the cv's and have a niggling feeling that she was giving me a bad reference because there was some bad blood between us before I left. (Backstory is we discussed briefly the fact that my boyfriend was going away and I would have wanted the occasional weekend off in order to actually see him all summer, but she wanted me every weekend, no questions asked and wanted me to work the day I was going on holiday etc etc. Two weeks later I was diagnosed with the illness and I think she thougt I may have exagerrated it to get out of the job)

1. Can she give me a bad reference? If so, what do I do? Say I have no experience in retail, when I do?
2. What are the chances of getting full time work in the maynooth/leixlip/celbridge/west dublin area? I'm willing to do basically anything at this stage.

watna

I wouldn't imagine that the reason you didn't get any calls about any jobs last October was because they were calling this woman. Companies will want to meet you first before ringing your referees. I'd put references available on request on your CV from now on. It's standard practive these days.

Can you give another referee instead of her? Giving and receivig references is a strange thing. She can't openly give you a terrible reference just because you left your job due to ill-health. As long as you make it clear to any future employers that you left sue to ill-health what else can she say against you?

Jumpy

Can you get a friend to test this theory?

Ellechim

Companies don't check references before they see you - they don't have the time - they only phone or contact referees after they see you.

My question is, if you had bad blood with this woman why would you name her as a referee? Has she agreed to be a referee for you? If not then don't use her, use a college lecturer or someone else. In the unlikely event that a future employer asks to speak to someone at the shop say that the manager has that was there then is no longer there. you need to bear in mind you don't have to disclose everything to a future employer and not disclosing 'everything' is not lying, if you see what I mean. If they ask why you left say you left to go travelling, or a parent was ill, or something...don't say you fell out and don't say 'stress related illness' say glandular fever or something (simply because glandular fever is serious but doesn't recur but a stress related illness may)......they will not contact your doctor, do not worry.....

I have never put my referees names on my CV - or even the comment 'referees available on request' although I have put that on a cover letter.

I think the issue of finding a job is more down to the economy and your background/experience than anything else and not down to this woman.

In terms of finding a job I would actually walk into shops with my cv, ask to speak to the manager, have a chat, say you're mega flexible, give them the big sell and if they say they have nothing available say 'well please keep me in mind if anything comes up as I'd really love to work here' and then go in about once a month until they offer you something

best of luck. Put this bad experience behind you and move on, no-one need know you fell out with her........

allandanyways

thanks for the advice, my big worry about not including her on my cv is that I only worked there for a year, but it's my only work experience besides babysitting (my parents are very overprotective and wouldnt let me get a proper job until I started college last year). I know every student who's allowed to work in school is going to have babysitting (which I've done for the same family for nearly 3 years now) on their cv, so how am I going to stand out? As soon as college ends in may I'm about as flexible as you can get for the whole summer, but without the year of retail on my cv I don't feel like I've much chance of getting a job...

Wishbone Ash

allandanyways wrote: »

Can she give me a bad reference?

I'm not sure of the situation in part-time employment but I know that in mainstream jobs, it's very unusual to get a 'bad' reference. Generally employers either give a good reference or refuse to give a reference at all.

In saying that, a prospective employer shouldn't necessarily read anything into a refusal to give a reference as the former employer is not legally obliged to give one and some companies have a policy of not giving one.

Ellechim

OP, what I'm saying is do include the year's experience on your CV but just don't use her as a reference. Use the people you've babysat for, or a college lecturer instead - you don't have to use this lady as your referee if you're worried about it.

The truth is that she can't give you a bad reference, it would be defamation of character, however, if you're going to worry about it then you're better off having two other names of people (most companies will only require 2).

All the best............

MelonieHead

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

but I know that in mainstream jobs, it's very unusual to get a 'bad' reference.

I was given a bad reference from a full-time position. I don't know what was said but the lady from an employment agency said that she contacted a former employer and they gave me a really bad reference, she said that we really can't use these people as a reference, do you have anyone else, anyone at all?

I've always wondered WTF I did to make them bad-mouth me so much that the lady from the agency actually seemed embarrassed. I honestly do not know.

Ellechim

God, that is terrible Meloniehead.......

Someone who does that kind of thing will be known for it.

I had a dreadful relationship with one boss in a former company - she bullied me for years. When I finally left (I took redundancy) I was sent to an outplacement service. I remember asking the chap what do I do about this woman, Dublin is a small place and I'm sure she'd bad mouth me. He said someone like that is well known for being nasty and negative about people and generally people take what they say with a pinch of salt.

There are some right wagons out there and nothing you could have done would have anything to do with anything they might say about you. At least now you know so you won't name that person again.

But seriously, if you are going to use someone as your referee the best thing to do is to give them a call and have a chat and ask them before you go giving their name to anyone........

Best of luck allandanyways