Some advice might help regulars here

[toomanycalls1]

Hi guys.

I've been working in employment verification. I was telling another regular about my job and he said "I bet you have tips everyone could use. You should share them" so here I go.

1. Most of the time your managers can't give you a reference just dates salary and position and sometimes not salary. Get a trusted coworker who you've known awhile who will be quiet to be a reference. Or if a supervisor leaves a job before he leaves ask if you can put him/her down as a reference.

2. Check your phone numbers for your personal references and previous employers.

3. Think about your possible references. Is there someone in the industry your applying to? The longer they've known you the better.

4. Tell your references you are putting them down.

5. Write your applications clearly and legibly.

6. Be as precise as possible on dates and if it's a chain please put down which exact store you worked at.

7. As important as it to not overstate your title it is important not to down it either. I've seen both.

8. It's the school time again but at the end of the school year ask a teacher who knows you if they check their school email during the summer or if they can. Then you can put on application "Ms. Smith said contact her at mrssmithisanawesometeacher@yahoo.com"

Any questions for the employment lady fire away.

[toomanycalls1]

One more thing

If you worked at a location which was closed put down "Location closed" and find out the number someone needs to call to check your dates position and if they verify salary, salary if the company isn't out of business. For example if you worked at a Best Buy that closed put down "Location closed. Call to verify at Headquarters 555-555-5555"

[JustADude]

Quick question... do you guys 'Take off points' automatically if we check the box saying "Please do not contact this employer" on a job history item?

I did some time in a telemarketing place that was incredibly unprofessional, and I'm actually rather nervous they might falsify the terms I departed under just to make my life harder, as "punishment" for quitting. Long story short, it's a telemarketing firm that's a complete scam (about this >< far from illegal) and run in a way that makes me think they don't even care about lawsuits.

[Gurndigarn]

Quick question... do you guys 'Take off points' automatically if we check the box saying "Please do not contact this employer" on a job history item?

It's going to depending on who's looking over the application. And what job you mark. And how often.

For instance, in "reason for leaving" if you put "conflict with manager", some managers won't even interview you. Some will. I would recommend putting it down, despite the fact that a few managers won't touch you, since that actually acts as a screen for you, since the majority of the managers who won't interview anyone with a single conflict tend to be uptight pricks.

On the other hand, if you left the last three jobs because of managerial conflicts, you're not going to get a job from anyone with any sort of experience.

It also depends on which job: "do not contact" a telemarketing job is easily understandable.


(Though if the telemarketing job was a short-term one, just feel free to leave it off the application entirely.)

[draggar]

I have a former employer who is not only gone and closed, but all of the 'heads' moved back to China after a scandal investigation loosened up (none of them were allowed to leave the country).

Honestly, I hate putting that place on my resume, but it was a tech support job, so it's very relevant to what I"m doing now.

[toomanycalls1]

Answers

Draggar do you remember any coworkers names? They can at least say "Draggar worked with me for this period of time we did this and that and he was a good employee"

If a company is folding get together with coworkers and say "Hey guys we are going to need someone to vouch for us" A coworker does count even an equal. Not as good as a manager or supervisor but especially if you worked together for any length of time in the same department that does look good.

Put down personal reasons on the application. Being honest does count for points.

Also there's something else. If you are thinking of leaving a company or store and it's a big one chances are they are signed in with something called theworknumber. They won't give a reference but a potential new employer can check your dates, position and salary without your company ever knowing. Maybe a coworker can be a reference. The company I left

If an employer is going out of business see before they leave if you can get a printout that says "Joeschmoo worked for us from January 1st, 2003 through December 31, 2006. He was a gogo dancer and earned 12.00 an hour" and if they will give you a written reference all the better,

Check theworknumber.com. And if you see your employer is on there put it on the application with the notation "Check dates and salary at this number. John Smith, coworker of 3 years is a reference"

[JustADude]

On the other hand, if you left the last three jobs because of managerial conflicts, you're not going to get a job from anyone with any sort of experience.

It also depends on which job: "do not contact" a telemarketing job is easily understandable.

Nope, just the one. I tend to only leave jobs under extreme circumstances, actually.

My previous jobs, starting from earliest to current, were because:

#1: Barnes & Noble: I was the most senior non-management in my department and the GM wanted to save money on labor, so she terminated all the senior employees, starting with the Cafe (my department) because she figured we were the most replaceable. Went to school while working at...

#2: Blockbuster: Loved the job. Only left because I was moving to my current city of residence with my Fiancee so she could be nearer her family. I was supposed to be getting a fairly lucrative IT position on my arrival, but someone screwed the pooch and it turns out they'd double-booked the job, which left me scrambling. That leads to...

#3: McDonalds: Total mental breakdown following the death of my aforementioned Fiancee. I had enough savings to live on for a while so I let myself go to pieces and glued myself back together before...

#4: Microtek Solutions (now Mtek): This is the scam-artists. I made the mistake, before I saw through the snow-job of them being a legit biz-to-biz sales house, of getting my remaining savings tied up in long-term things I can't get it out of for another year or more, which left me grabbing the first job I got, and here I am.

[Gurndigarn]

#4: Microtek Solutions (now Mtek): This is the scam-artists. I made the mistake, before I saw through the snow-job of them being a legit biz-to-biz sales house, of getting my remaining savings tied up in long-term things I can't get it out of for another year or more, which left me grabbing the first job I got, and here I am.

OK, looking at the list, that's a fairly reasonable and understandable got-from-here-to-here-to here type list.

If you're currently at the scam artists, yes, request that nobody call them, or at least not to call unless they're serious about you. If you're not working for them, they're probably not going to badmouth you. In fact, they're probably not going to say anything beyond name, rank, and serial number.

Since you liked BlockBuster, that may be a decent place to start if you can survive on the money they pay, just to get out of the hellhole, especially since you left on good terms: you've got a your foot in the door already. That will give you time to get your feet back under you, and may provide advancement opportunities if you're interested in that as a career.

[Primer]

8. It's the school time again but at the end of the school year ask a teacher who knows you if they check their school email during the summer or if they can. Then you can put on application "Ms. Smith said contact her at mrssmithisanawesometeacher@yahoo.com"

PLEASE make sure the teacher will actually remember you! I usually do a brain dump every semester, and remember only the really GOOD students and the really BAD students. If you're a quiet, sit on the side, B or C average student, I might not even recognize your name after grades have been turned in.

Sorry, but that's just the way it is. And my records have been filed away, likely never to see the light of day again.