Job Reference and Previous Manager not available?

baseball1988

I have a few questions about job references.

I have 2 references from my previous job. They are professors working at some University. The school term usually end early in December and they usually return to work during the first or second week of January. I am afraid that they won't be able to pick up calls from their desk from around December 10-15 to January 9. It's about 1 month.

If I happen to get a job offer during this time but pending references...What can I do? They also don't use cell phones. I'm afraid to lose a great opportunity if this happen. Just want to plan ahead....

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Please note that this situation really happened 2 years ago, using the same references and I was stuck. But, I was very lucky and my current company was fine. Skipped the references all together and got hired.

apr911

I know you've heard this before but... Just be up front and honest about it. Explain to the employer that your references typically wont be available between x date and y date.

The potential employer will then typically try to contact your references before that date or will wait till after that date to extend an offer.

Also, given the dates you referenced, I wouldnt be too concerned. Most companies enter a slow period if not almost shutdown entirely during that period. Lots of people take of on vacations, etc. Most companies will understand why your references cant be reached at that time of year.

As far as an offer goes, you are very unlikely to get an offer made during that time of year. It is more likely you an offer will be extended to you by the end of the November/Early December to be accepted by Mid-December at the latest or an offer will be extended in January. Partially due to the holidays, partially because most companies wont expect you to start until at least January and partially because most dept. are trying to wrap up/submit the year-end budget and/or plan out what they are going to do with the new year budget so even if they've already budgeted headcount, they wont be counting their chickens before they hatch as it were (you could still turn down the offer, leaving them reporting the headcount as used when in reality it wasnt)

MentholMoose

If they are willing to serve as a reference to you, they should be willing to provide contact info while they are not in the office such as a home phone. If they really can't do that, and you're really worried about it, find some new references.

the_Grinch

I agree, they should be able to provide you with a home phone number. I have non-office numbers for all of my references for that very reason.

cyberguypr

Good point. A good reference should always be available if you are actively applying. One of my references was in Afghanistan doing satcom installs and wasn't immediately reachable. I warned prospects that it could take a week or two for him to reply back. IT was never a problem for anyone.

apr911

MentholMoose wrote: »

If they are willing to serve as a reference to you, they should be willing to provide contact info while they are not in the office such as a home phone. If they really can't do that, and you're really worried about it, find some new references.

I have to disagree with you on this point. With blackberries, iPhones, email, etc. it is getting harder and harder these days to draw the line between personal life and work life. Like it or not your references are part of your work life just as you are part of theirs. The reference should have the right to draw the line and say no you cant have my home phone number and especially when the reference is on vacation or spending time with family (such as what is likely the case with the Op's reference given the time of year).

References are supposed to be former co-workers or more preferably former managers. No matter how good the relationship and how friendly you are outside of work (and if you still remain friends today), when it comes time to be a reference, they are in a work relationship not a personal one and that is a big difference.

I have no problem with friends/co-workers calling me up at 2 am or any time to pick them up because they had too much to drink, to hang out or whatever but I do take exception to having my personal time interrupted at anytime to talk shop.

Ultimately, it is the references prerogative to establish what and when it is acceptable to be called as a reference and when they should not be called as a reference. Obviously they should be somewhat flexible with this, if your reference will only serve as your reference between 8-9 am on the third thursday of every month but only if that isnt an odd number day, in which case they're only available on the third wednesday between 8-9am... Well its time to find a new reference. My general rule of thumb is there should be a window of a couple hours at least 1 day a week unless I have otherwise been made aware of vacation/leave time and if they dont want to be called after working hours or on their home phone or cell, Im cool with that.

I have yet to have an employer who took issue with the fact that my references weren't available 24/7, ok a little bit of an over-exaggeration there, but the point is whenever Ive told an employer that my reference wont be available between these times and these times or these dates and these dates, I have not received a response that in anyway indicated this was a problem. I received offers from the vast majority of these potential employers too.

If I ever did have a potential employer balk at the fact that my reference isnt available at their convenience, I would take a good hard look at just how much I want to work for them. If this is the expectation they set for someone who doesnt work for them and someone who is doing them a service (yes a reference is vouching for you but they are also providing insight to the employer about you which they dont have to do), what can I expect from them as someone on the payroll? Am I going to get called in on my vacation or off time even though it was duly requested and approved? What about weekends and nights? When does my day end?

cyberguypr wrote: »

Good point. A good reference should always be available if you are actively applying. One of my references was in Afghanistan doing satcom installs and wasn't immediately reachable. I warned prospects that it could take a week or two for him to reply back. IT was never a problem for anyone.

Cyberguypr, Im a bit confused by this statement. You say a good reference should always be available yet you admit to using a reference who wasnt available for weeks at a time and that no one ever had a problem with this?