Employment/Life situation is getting me down

Former Member

Hi

I feel like the biggest failure right now.

When I finished my A-Levels last september, I began looking for work - I never wanted to go to university anyway, and was eager to start a career. I didn't do too well at my A-Levels because I only got a C and an E. However I have reasonable GCSE's (2A's 6B's and 2C's)

I figured getting into any employment was the thing I should be doing as it is easier to find work when you are already employed. Anything would do just while I got on my feet, so I ended up working in a wetherspoons In Jan 2010. The first 2 months there were great and I had no issues, then a new manager took it over. The new manager was an utter bastard to me despite the fact that I worked just as hard as everyone else, he would talk to me like an idiot, and I felt quite ostracised. I resigned when I was only given 6 hours in one week. In total I worked there for 4 months.

Anyway, after resigning I went onto JSA and found new employment within 2 weeks, a much better job too as a home care worker. I've passed the interview, I've passed the training and all that.

However, of the two references I had to provide, one has to be the previous employer. My first reference is great, which is from a voluntary organisation I help at - but this wetherspoons manager isn't replying to them and also if he did would probably unduely slander me. I can't start until they get the reference.

I can't have this happen again, should I just omit them from my employment record in future? I feel they may have lost me this job. I dont have to worry about my tax form do I (P60?) Because it will list my last source of income as JSA? Or does it list them all? I've spoken to connexions and they did reccomend I omited them and they said it would come up as JSA on my P60 form. They said I could say I am on a gap year as I only left college last sept and many young people do that.

I just feel like I've got nothing worthwhile in life, and I've made poor decisions that will live with me forever. My A-Levels were shit, all my friends have gone away (I have none), I've got no confidence anymore, I'm stuck in unemployment for now because of this wetherspoon bastard and the longer I remain in unemployment the harder its going to be to get in it.

What can I do?

Former Member

if it's essential for you to get the reference from wetherspoons then are there any shift managers or shift leaders that you got on with better who could write you a reference? when your old manager left did they move to a new pub or leave the company? if they've moved internally then you could track them down and they could write you a reference that might be more complimentary than the current manager. i'm sorry they are messing you about

once you have a new job then if it was me i would leave spoons on my employment record, purely because it shows more work experience and a different range of skills than those needed for the care job, which might come in useful later. assuming your new job goes well, you could use them as a reference for any future jobs and you could still show that you have worked in more than one industry.

i hope it all gets sorted soon, try not to let it get you down too much. i understand that it's a very turbulent time but honestly you have made the decisions you thought were best at the time and that's all you can do. maybe you could look at going to college at some point in the future to do a vocational course, maybe in care if you find that you like it?

Former Member

Is there no way that you can get in touch with the previous manager and ask them to do you a reference , i think in the long run it would pay to be honest and explain to the people who are waiting for the refernece what has happened , they are keen to give you a job so you have already done the hard bit.
If this does'nt work out though just keep trying it sounds like you are the type of person to press ahead and get what you want so keep your spirits up and keep trying



EDIT - Sorry omg hi has already said the same , great minds think alike !

Former Member

Although you feel that you were unfairly treated at Wetherspoons, did you ever speak to your ex-manager about giving you a reference? The best thing you could do is give him a call. Be charm itself (however you feel) and explain that his not responding to your (potential) employer's reference request may cost you the job.

I have dealt with many of these situations from the potential employer side of things. The likelihood is that your ex-manager will be gushingly apologetic, deny all knowledge of having had the request at all, and deal with it promptly when a copy is sent.

Give it a go. You have nothing to lose.

Former Member

I don't know where he is. He left the business entirely.

Former Member

LiverpoolStephen wrote: »

I don't know where he is. He left the business entirely.

Well that could explain why he isn't dealing with your reference request. I'm not familiar with Wetherspoons other than that they are a huge chain. When you got paid, did you receive a payslip from a centralised HR/Payroll department? If so, then I should explain that your former manager has left the company and ask your "new" employers to redirect their reference request to Wetherspoons' HR department. Don't worry that they will have no knowledge of your work or personality. As long as you didn't have any disciplinary issues during the 4 months you worked there, they can simply provide a factual account, i.e. that you were employed from X to Y, your job title, number of sick days and salary. That is all your new employers need.

Former Member

LiverpoolStephen wrote: »

I don't know where he is. He left the business entirely.

again i would suggest contacting one of your old shift managers or shift leaders, if you got on ok with them.