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I'm 30 and I've been working since 2009. Below is a list of my jobs/dates:

  1. Retail, 3rd Key, 2009-2010, quit for another job
  2. Hospital kitchen, 2010-2012, quit but they worded it as a transfer for another job with the same company (#3)
  3. Housekeeping, 2012-2014, let go because they decided after 2 years that family couldn't work together (my mother was a coworker)
  4. Kennel job, 2014-2015, quit because of a horrible boss
  5. Unemployment gap of 2 years
  6. Parts manager, 7 months (12/2017 - 7/2018), quit because it was too stressful
  7. Kennel manager, 8 months (8/2018 - 4/2019), fired because my boss was being investigated for charity fraud and embezzlement and blamed me for turning her even though I had nothing to do with it.

What can I do? I only have a few months of unemployment left and I just started college and I'm trying to find another job but I'm hitting a brick wall.

Do I leave off my 2 most recent jobs? Will hiring managers find out about these jobs somehow? What about the gap?

I thought about listing these jobs and then using 2 of my friends phone numbers and claiming they were my supervisors but would that be found out? Can I just list these jobs as if I worked for a neighbor privately and use that actual experience I gained but, again, use friends as the supervisors? I desperately need some advice.

brhans
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451757
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  • What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Typically, you don't list reasons for leaving all of those jobs on your resume. And lying with fake supervisors is never good. – sf02 Aug 21 '19 at 20:34
  • I wasn't planning on listing reasons on my resume but my worry is about when it'll get brought up at an interview - if I can get one. Do hiring managers call the companies on a resume before meeting with the applicant? I know the supervisors from my last 2 jobs (kennel manager and parts manager) would give me horrible reviews out of revenge – 451757 Aug 21 '19 at 20:37
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    what kind of job are you seeking now? What industry, etc? Based on that is that will depend how you should frame your resume – DarkCygnus Aug 21 '19 at 20:38
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    My work at my last couple of jobs was mainly clerical (some physical at both as well such as cleaning kennels when I was a kennel manager and counting/sorting parts at the plant before I became the parts mgr). I'd like to find a clerical job such as receptionist, front desk, office clerk, etc – 451757 Aug 21 '19 at 20:40
  • If the hiring manager want to speak with someone at your former companies, usually they ask you provide references. Reach out to people you worked with and ask if you can use them as references, never use your friends/family as fake references. – sf02 Aug 21 '19 at 20:44
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    Unfortunately, I don't have any references to provide from former coworkers. What few I was close with at the retail job have moved away and I don't have their numbers, my kitchen coworkers don't like me because I quit, my housekeeping coworkers don't like me because they didn't like my mother, I don't have phone numbers of my parts mgr coworkers (there were only a handful of us and I wasn't close with them) and my kennel coworkers don't like me because I blew the whistle on their work ethic. I'm sort of stuck – 451757 Aug 21 '19 at 20:51
  • Related question: How can I improve a resume to avoid looking like a job-hopper? – MikeQ Aug 23 '19 at 14:07

1 Answers1

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Do not put references on your CV! A lot of employers do not request references if previous work was not too technical. An idea is to get a low paid part time job while looking for other work and use that part time job as a reference. You can perform really good at an interview and say that it was not your fault and you were being treated wrongly. Often employers will overlook the bad reference. Why? Because we all make mistakes, we all go through conflict, and your old employers might be bad managers. When they request an reference from your previous employers, the previous employers is supposed to keep it minimal and factual. For example, "Sarah worked here for 5 years and has one written warning. They resigned from their job on the ......" The employer is not suppose to give personal feelings and information about past conflict that happened 1 year ago. If the employer gives wrong or false information on purpose and you lose your job, they can get into trouble for this.

"Unfortunately, I don't have any references to provide from former coworkers. What few I was close with at the retail job have moved away and I don't have their numbers" - This means you will not get a bad reference. Just say you left on pursuit for a better job. Can the new employer prove you wrong?

Only list recent jobs and fill in as much information. Say how your responsibilities match the job you are applying for. "Parts manager, 7 months (12/2017 - 7/2018), quit because it was too stressful" - do not say it was too stressful, give a different response. Did you write that on your resignation letter?

"I just started college and I'm trying to find another job but I'm hitting a brick wall" - Ask your college professors to give you a reference.

"I thought about listing these jobs and then using 2 of my friends phone numbers and claiming they were my supervisors but would that be found out?" - Do not do this.

"Unemployment gap of 2 years" - Did you suffer from depression or any health problems?

Hope this helps.

Adam83
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  • I haven't put any references on my CV. Won't it look bad that my last 2 jobs didn't last long and that I quit one/was fired from the other & they'll both give bad references? I have witnessed both supervisors slam previous employees when someone called for a reference. They're cruel people. Should I go all the way back to 2009 with my retail job or only list the last 5-7 years? The 2 year gap is during this time. I went through a depression during this time right beforeningot the parts job. I just started college and don't really know my professors. I don't think they'd give me a reference? – 451757 Aug 22 '19 at 01:16