Job Discussion Forums

[santi84]

I am in a bit of a pickle here and could use some advice from those of you screen applications/hire applicants.

My main - ONLY - employment reference has disappeared! She has dropped off the face of the earth Aside from a private investigator, I cannot find her (word on the street is that she has disappeared into SE Asia). I graduated in 2009, she left in 2010, and all her forwarding contact information is negative.

I have all my performance logs from the job (a one month full-time practicum position), but now what? Should I offer these performance logs if the reference is requested by a potential employer? I'm looking at possible work with the public school board so I know that references will probably be required.

[spiral78]

Yes, offer what you've got, of course - you can only explain that your reference has gone to teach in Asia and left no current contact info.

It's always helpful to get a signed letter of recommendation on letterhead from people at the time; this doesn't obviate the need for 'live' references later on, but it adds to your array of credentials and can stand in in the case a referee becomes uncontactable.

My own references more than a couple of years old are now just letters - I'd be hesitant for a new employer to contact someone I worked for five or ten years ago, you see...people's positions change, and the person who supervised me back then may well have moved on or be in a very different position by now. Not to mention that I may have been forgotten

[fladude]

[Glenski]

As others wrote, explain the honest truth. If you can provide a person who worked with you at that place, it's the next best substitute.

[johntpartee]

I've always put "References Available on Request" on my resume/CV. NOBODY has ever requested them. The closest thing I've ever encountered to being "checked up on" is the recommendation/separation letter in China.

[johntpartee]

Sorry, I didn't read your post carefully, OP. North American public schools will probably require references.

[coledavis]

Putting these things together. I wouldn't mention references at all on the cv. Then if the employer does ask for one, explain the problem and offer to send scanned images of your performance log. The latter is likelier to provide a better behavioural guide than most references, which tend to be vague or perfunctory.