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JOB INTERVIEWS - Can employers contact my current employer?

IShallOvercome

Hi guys,

As it says in the title, I'm just wondering can potential employers/agencies contact your current employer without your consent?

Basically, I work in the IT sector and I've been in the same company for the past 4 years and I want to find a new job.

I've been contacted countless times via email, Linkedin etc. from job agencies but I've always turned them down out of fear that my company will be contacted without consent.

I've wanted to get a new job for about 2 years now but I've never applied for any because I'm afraid that I'll apply, then, before or after the interview, I'll be sitting in my office (small company so we all share the one office) and the phone will ring and my boss will answer and it will be from the potential employer, asking about me, if I work there etc.
The thought of this absolutely terrifies me and that's why I haven't bothered applying for promising job opportunities.

Can anyone shed light on this? Have you ever had a potential employer contact your place of work? Or is this completely frowned upon and never happens?

Thanks guys.

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the_syco

IShallOvercome wrote: »

Basically, I work in the IT sector and I've been in the same company for the past 4 years and I want to find a new job.

Irelands a small place, with HR and managers moving around. If it says on the CV who you worked for, it'd be pretty easy to check if they know anyone at your current job and ask what you're like.

Why do you fear that the current employer would find out? Are you currently trying to get promoted?

IShallOvercome

the_syco wrote: »

Irelands a small place, with HR and managers moving around. If it says on the CV who you worked for, it'd be pretty easy to check if they know anyone at your current job and ask what you're like.

Why do you fear that the current employer would find out? Are you currently trying to get promoted?

Because I wouldn't want to jeopardize my current position

Doctor Nick

Don't think they're supposed to unless it's for a reference which you've already provided but I did in an interview (20 years ago at this stage) and that afternoon my boss at the time pulled me aside and told me "you shouldn't really say blank in an interview" which I'd said in the interview that morning. It was said with a nod and a wink but meant that the interviewer had in fact told my boss about my interview with him. Boss was grand about it though.

EverythingGood

IShallOvercome wrote: »

Hi guys,

As it says in the title, I'm just wondering can potential employers/agencies contact your current employer without your consent?

Basically, I work in the IT sector and I've been in the same company for the past 4 years and I want to find a new job.

I've been contacted countless times via email, Linkedin etc. from job agencies but I've always turned them down out of fear that my company will be contacted without consent.

I've wanted to get a new job for about 2 years now but I've never applied for any because I'm afraid that I'll apply, then, before or after the interview, I'll be sitting in my office (small company so we all share the one office) and the phone will ring and my boss will answer and it will be from the potential employer, asking about me, if I work there etc.
The thought of this absolutely terrifies me and that's why I haven't bothered applying for promising job opportunities.

Can anyone shed light on this? Have you ever had a potential employer contact your place of work? Or is this completely frowned upon and never happens?

Thanks guys.

My wife just got a job with a (non retail) bank and they needed her permission to contact her current company. In saying that, I am not sure they legally need permission though and may though so without consent!

jimmycrackcorm

IShallOvercome wrote:

Can anyone shed light on this? Have you ever had a potential employer contact your place of work? Or is this completely frowned upon and never happens?

You shouldn't worry about it at all. Everyone else is in the same boat. Normally you will provide a reference which is your previous employer and it's rare for an employer to contact your current employer.

Vast numbers of IT people change jobs every few years so it's quite normal.

jimmycrackcorm

EverythingGood wrote:

My wife just got a job with a (non retail) bank and they needed her permission to contact her current company. In saying that, I am not sure they legally need permission though and may though so without consent!

Probably for the same place I work which had the same. However the contact was by consent and only after an offer was made. The contact was to verify the start and end dates of employment because a bank has extra checks on employee background going back 10 years.

CIARAN_BOYLE

A recruiter will often dress up your cv when sending it out to their clients. My CV didn't have my previous employer details on it when sent to my current job.
Instead it said something like 3 years experience in small 2 partner 4 staff generalist practice.