Employer references

[kat_]

Hi!

A company that I really want to work for has asked for 2 employment references.
I have been involved in a number of things but they were most voluntary or brand ambassador things which have already told me that in a 100 people cohort they will not provide anyone with a reference.

The only places I really worked for were M&S in 2020 (but the manager got fired as a result of COVID) and agency last year but that was only for 2 weeks and I was sent off to work on sites, so I don't suppose they know me very well.

It looks like I only have one reference with a place where I have been volunteering for more than a year.

I don't really know what to do?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi!

A company that I really want to work for has asked for 2 employment references.
I have been involved in a number of things but they were most voluntary or brand ambassador things which have already told me that in a 100 people cohort they will not provide anyone with a reference.

The only places I really worked for were M&S in 2020 (but the manager got fired as a result of COVID) and agency last year but that was only for 2 weeks and I was sent off to work on sites, so I don't suppose they know me very well.

It looks like I only have one reference with a place where I have been volunteering for more than a year.

I don't really know what to do?

I wouldn’t worry about this - you will have two references to use (M&S and the agency).

You don’t need to know anyone well for a reference. Most employers will just provide a standard reference that confirms your dates of employment and your job title. For a company like M&S that will be very standardised (same for the recruitment agency).

 

[kat_]

I wouldn’t worry about this - you will have two references to use (M&S and the agency).

You don’t need to know anyone well for a reference. Most employers will just provide a standard reference that confirms your dates of employment and your job title. For a company like M&S that will be very standardised (same for the recruitment agency).

Thank you so much @Jessica Booker !
I managed to find a written reference from M&S in my inbox.

But, I have a slight issue in dates.
I worked there Feb 2019- Feb 2020, kind of officially left for Uni in September (2019) but on my CV I put March 2020 as I worked there every weekend I went back home, winter break etc. My last shift was just before the first lockdown.

Now however, the dates on the reference do not match what I put on my CV. I just never thought about it.
Is this detrimental? Can I explain it?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you so much @Jessica Booker !
I managed to find a written reference from M&S in my inbox.

But, I have a slight issue in dates.
I worked there Feb 2019- Feb 2020, kind of officially left for Uni in September (2019) but on my CV I put March 2020 as I worked there every weekend I went back home, winter break etc. My last shift was just before the first lockdown.

Now however, the dates on the reference do not match what I put on my CV. I just never thought about it.
Is this detrimental? Can I explain it?

They won’t ask for a copy of a reference you have. They will go directly to M&S for this. I would speak to M&S and see why there is a discrepancy in the dates if you were employed there until 2020.