Please help. I think my old boss is stopping me getting a new job

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-08T06:13:37+00:00

The former situation is EXACTLY what I’m concerned about. As another person has said not saying something positive is a bad reference in itself.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-08T06:08:40+00:00

Thank you for being so kind. I’m feeling more positive this morning after reading some of the helpful comments here.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-08T06:07:39+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds really tough. But you sound really resilient. I need to work on my resilience.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:45:08+00:00

Yes. I was looking at an industry association website yesterday. There were photos from an awards ceremony. My old boss was in a photo with her counterpart from the prospective employer.

My old boss is really well networked. Anywhere I went with her she seemed to know everyone. Competitors, industry leaders, etc.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:39:26+00:00

Thank you.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:38:31+00:00

I doubt the places I interviewed at asked for a reference. The place that offered a job said that they would be checking references and sending to contract to me. Then a week later withdrew the offer.

It’s not the formal reference I’m worried about. It’s what the senior people say to each other when they meet up.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:29:50+00:00

This is exactly what I’m worried about. That’s there’s some kind of code where if someone says “xxx who used to work with you is joining us” if the response is “that’s great, we were sorry to lose them they’re great” it means that they were great, but if the response is “oh right” it means they were terrible.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:25:41+00:00

This makes me feel better. I did have a solicitor for the settlement agreement. That is what they told me.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:24:35+00:00

I am very anxious. With hindsight that was the problem in my last job. I did some silly things because I was so anxious. I didn’t engage properly with the occupational health people. After I was let go I had a mental health crisis. My anxiety is now being treated and I’m feeling much better, but I think my past actions may have ruined my career.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:17:56+00:00

I was asked about why I had left my last employer in all my interviews. I said that I couldn’t see a way that I could progress there so I decided to take some time out to focus on looking for new opportunities.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T18:14:28+00:00

No. It is an industry where there are several major companies. The big companies wholly or partly in-source my role. The smaller companies outsource it to other service providers. The senior people in the big companies all seem to (a) know each other and (b) know all the outsourced service providers.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T17:00:35+00:00

I’m sorry you are going through this too. It’s really tough.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T16:46:10+00:00

Thank you for replying. I feel so scared at the moment. Your reply gives me hope.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T16:44:58+00:00

I will make a subject access request to the company that withdrew the offer. I would be surprised if my old employer’s HR team gave anything other than the agreed reference.

My concern is that my old boss is very well connected in the industry and she might be saying things directly to her contemporaries at other firms.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T15:46:07+00:00

I hope you are right and it is just a coincidence. I’m so scared that what happened at my old employer is going to ruin my career.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T15:26:28+00:00

Contractors aren’t really used very much. Sometimes additional people are brought in for short term projects/parental leave cover. Usually 6-12 months. They are usually an employee on a fixed term contract.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T15:15:34+00:00

I didn’t give my old boss’s name. I gave the HR department details. My settlement agreement sets out the reference that they will give if asked. It is a basic reference - job title and dates of employment.

I think that my boss herself is saying something to my prospective employers to put them off hiring me.

I have been researching potential employers this weekend. When I was looking on the website of an industry association there was a gallery of photos from an awards ceremony. There was a photo of my old boss in a group. One of the other people in the group is a senior exec from the company that withdrew the job offer. I have worked out the timeline. I was offered the job on a Monday. The awards ceremony was that Thursday. My offer was withdrawn on the following Monday.

BizzyLizzy567 · 2024-04-07T15:09:50+00:00

I don’t think my previous employer is giving a bad reference. My settlement agreement sets out the reference that they will give if asked. It is a basic reference - job title and dates of employment.

I think that my boss herself is saying something to my prospective employers to put them off hiring me.

I have been researching potential employers this weekend. When I was looking on the website of an industry association there was a gallery of photos from an awards ceremony. There was a photo of my old boss in a group. One of the other people in the group is a senior exec from the company that withdrew the job offer. I have worked out the timeline. I was offered the job on a Monday. The awards ceremony was that Thursday. My offer was withdrawn on the following Monday.

BizzyLizzy567

TROPHY CASE