Help!!! applying for job - 1st in 15 yrs - reference advice pls???

[ARoomSomewhere]

For various reasons, I am applying for my first job in 15 years.

Obvs I cannot give 'recent employment' references.

Do I give 2 personal references (from people in the field)

Or 1, and an employee ref (NOT in the field, secretarial) from 15 yrs ago?

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also:

its a trainee position with 1 yr undergraduate level study included.

it asks for evidence of ability to study to that level.

I did the first 2 years of a relevant degree. I didn't finish it as I was raped in Halls and the Uni was useless and allowed him to stay and I was too anxious to finish my course.

Is it relevant or do I just leave it out?

Do you have to provide references when applying? I'm a recruiter and most people just put something like "references available on request". 're the study, I would put dates and subject of study, any module results and "final year not completed due to personal circumstances". Can you get a transcript of your first 2 yrs results from your uni? Might be worth having so you could offer that too. Good luck!

Yes have to provide refs at this stage.

Its an NHS counselling position.

In that case, is there a "for an informal chat about the position" telephone number you can call? I'd contact them to ask what would be most useful to them in a referee, someone who's known you a long time in depth, or someone who was a previous employer a long time ago.

There isn't unfortunately.

It closes tomorrow.

I think I just have to go for it.

Check as well if your previous employer will give a reference after that length of time as mine wouldn’t agree give me one as it was more than 5 years since I’d worked there

they will
but is a 15 yr old personal secretarial ref from a retired person more useful than a personal ref from a consultant in the field?

Provide both. I've recently started job hunting and have a reference from previous employer -10yrs ago and a character reference from the Head of DC's School as I have done a lot of volunteering there.

I see i can provide 3 refs

1st will be Personal - a Senior Counsellor who has known me 30 yrs

2nd could either be the recent friend who is in the field

or the aged ex boss who is not hugely reliable

so i could put him 3rd or leave him off?

Hi op, I am applying for a job for the first time in 13 years, very similar circumstances in that I too had a 2 year uni course I was unable to finish. I am sorry to hear your uni was useless at time when you needed support. Good luck for your application.

Meant to say leave the old boss off. Many people in our situation aren’t in contact with old bosses and some companies change so much they wouldn’t have a clue who you are/were.

Atchiclees thank you.x Good Luck to you too.x.x.