Unable to do IT Voluntary Work with a charity because I lack a second reference

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by jo74, Apr 1, 2010.

  1. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    Applied to do voluntary work with a well known charity that advises people. To do IT support voluntary work.

    The only reference I can supply is from an employer for whom I worked for several years. And during this time I received good appraisals from my boss, even got a company award; I'm expecting the reference to be pretty good.

    Prior to that I worked in several temping jobs, I doubt whether they'd remember me in many of them (although in some others I'd rather they not :dry).

    There simply isn't anyone else I can ask for a reference.

    So that's it, I'm not 'allowed' to do voluntary work with these people. I'm offerring my skills and labour and time for effectively the cost of a bus ticket. :rolleyes:

    This was the only local charity that offerred IT voluntary work.

    What could be the alternatives to charities for voluntary work ?
     
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  2. Notes_Bloke

    Notes_Bloke Terabyte Poster

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    Do they both have to be employer refs?

    When I supply refs, I usually supply the name of previous employer and another one for a character ref. This one is from a family friend who is a solicitor.

    NB
     
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  3. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    If you did work through an agency just give them the HR department for the agency as they would have you on record and would supply a bog standard reference or do what Notes_Bloke suggests. Don't let that put you off. There is always a way around these things.
     
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  4. greenbrucelee
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    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    me too.
     
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  5. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    most references these days are just a confirmation that you worked. Most companies wont risk badmouthing you for fear of lawsuits, so they err on the side of caution and say neither good nor bad. simply that you worked for them from x to y doing z
     
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  6. SimonD
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    SimonD Terabyte Poster

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    If asked (and it doesn't happen often) I provide a personal reference (a mate) and a professional one (former companies HR dept). You should always be able to offer more than one reference even if you have only ever worked at one place, you would give your line manager and HR.
     
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  7. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I also provide a mixture of personal and professional references... and I've got bucketloads of professional references I could use, so I add personal ones by choice.

    The cost of a bus ticket... until you install back doors into their computer systems, steal personal data and sell it, and/or use their e-mail system to spam for your own personal purposes.

    You may not understand the need for references... but trust me, there are people out there who will do exactly the sort of things I mention.
     
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  8. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    Ooh, that's a bit harsh. I wouldn't even now how to do those things. And someone with the requisite two references could do those bad things anyway.

    Anyway, this particular charity do have a paid IT support worker and perhaps I should've made clear that I would be effectively assisting this person.
     
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  9. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    How do they know that? They don't know you from Adam.

    Sure, they could... but at least the charity took reasonable steps to prevent something like that from happening.

    Do you *really* believe that they'd be better off by not requiring that volunteers be screened??

    Doesn't matter if you'd be assisting the CIO... it still doesn't remove the need to get references for anyone entrusted with working on their information systems. I wouldn't let ANYONE touch my network without a CV, an interview, and multiple positive references... at a bare minimum.
     
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  10. jo74

    jo74 Byte Poster

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    Managed to (finally) think of a second (and possibly even a third) reference. Someone in this thread mentioned HR, and I suddenly remembered I could ask my boss' boss from an old job.:oops:

    Anyway, now I have to wait a few weeks for an interview.
     
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