Refused me job ..aibu to feel like giving up?

[reddeadalive]

I'm 33 and my job history is mainly customer service.
In the last 11 years my mum had cancer and has passed away in September.
I kept taking breaks in my employment to look after her.
My last job was 2016
I applied for a call centre and got offered the job.
Told them my previous history but couldn't remember exact dates.
They did a Experian employment check and refused the offer.
Saying there were too many gaps in my employment.
I feel really really low.
In a ideal world my mum wouldn't have been ill and I wouldn't have had to keep leaving jobs.
Will I ever get a job again ?

Oh crikey! I didn't even know employment checks existed! Yes you will. There will be an understanding employer out there, I actually think it's really very callous of the call centre to do that and they're not the kind of employer you want to work for anyway OP

Blimey I didn't realise this existed!! Big brother really is watching.

I promise it'll be ok, something will turn up x

Honestly it'll be down to the accuracy of the information you give them. You need to try and get specific dates, if you guess and the dates don't line up with their checks then they'll think you're hiding something.

If they offered you the job subject to checks, are they aware your mother has died therefore you won’t be taking breaks? May need to state the obvious, unfortunately.

I’m sorry for your loss @reddeadalive. when we’re recruiting we like to check out what people say regarding employment gaps, if it turns out to be different in dates we would be suspicious.
You will get another job, but you need to be really really accurate with the dates. It’s very tough at the moment.

when you write a cv, or job application, you need to explain gaps in your employment history. So be honest and clear about yours. Anyone worth working for will understand a reason like yours. Keep going OP.

It is hard to get back into it after a break. Just beware of MLM scams posting something like this.
Messaged you x

If they did an Experian check they were probably looking at the way you managed your accounts rather than your employment history, as Experian won't show that in detail - they would just be able to see if you were paying your monthly debits ok, if you'd relied on payday loans a lot, if you had any defaults or CCJs etc. If this was a call centre for a finance based company, a clear credit history is usually a necessity.

Experian employment check

The what.👀 there is absolutely nothing about my employment there. There is no way they can have this data on me

Pay for one of those searches yourself or ring HMRC maybe they can give you the dates you paid taxes to help you figure out the correct dates. I suspect it was probably because you hadn't detailed all the gaps or explained them so next time I would be very careful to list them all on your CV and in the application forms (use additional sheets for forms if needed). Usually there's a space to give the reason for leaving. I would actually fill in the gaps as "volunteer carer". You could even list the skills you gained from it as if it were a paid job because care work is really valuable and underestimated.

Good luck for your next applications, I really don't think it will be an issue if you're up front about it and explain it. Perhaps in interviews when they ask if you have any questions you could take that opportunity to explain the reason, they should be quite understanding.

The good news is that you impressed them enough to nearly get the job! So your interview technique and skills are really good and you should be proud of that. I don't think anyone could hold down a job in those circumstances and you shouldn't feel bad about it at all.

@DressingGownofDoom

Oh crikey! I didn't even know employment checks existed! Yes you will. There will be an understanding employer out there, I actually think it's really very callous of the call centre to do that and they're not the kind of employer you want to work for anyway OP

It isn’t callous it’s perfectly normal. I’m starting a new job next week and had to pass financial probity, basic criminality and 3 years employment references.

The OP needs to give accurate information so it doesn’t appear she’s trying to hide anything, and be able to explain employment gaps. This should have come up prior to offer stage if the CV was accurate.

I think it is the fact they thought you were lying about the gaps in your employment because they did not match up with what you told them. It is what stackhead and Minky said.

From an employer's perspective, if you lied even before you joined, what else would you do once you are in the company. Also, if you are lying, what are you hiding. Could be much worse than caring responsibilities.

You may have to chalk this one down to lessons learnt. Good luck with your job hunt. Don't give up.

I work in HR and we use Experian but won’t follow it blindly. Have you tried getting in touch with them to explain your employment history and the circumstances surrounding it. I know we wouldn’t refuse you the role based on what you’ve explained above!

How can people be surprised at employment checks? Employers don't just take the word of applicants

Was this for a banking / financial services job? That sector is very strict, and rightly so, to minimise the risk of fraud and theft. They will check not just your employment history but also your credit record, often going back 10 years which makes it more onerous even than a mortgage application.

@Amirite can you tell me how it works? I am curious now. Is it that they just call up former employers for reference check or do they have access to some source of data? Became even government doesn't seem to have them correct😂

I didn't actually lie
I told them the truth about my experience and my mums illness and also about my volunteer work in the mean time.
I just didn't give exact dates I just said (approx 2017 )

It was a call centre for tv and broadband

It's worth contacting them

I've had this issue before with experian.

They simply tell an employer whether you're experience matched or didn't match their records. I was a month out on a start date of one role and was auto rejected. After speaking with them they reviewed and I got the role.

@Amirite how does it work? Do Experian have my exact dates ? And jobs and job title etc

@stackhead

Honestly it'll be down to the accuracy of the information you give them. You need to try and get specific dates, if you guess and the dates don't line up with their checks then they'll think you're hiding something.

This with bells on.

Lots of people have breaks in career history for all sorts of reasons. But if you guess and say you worked for an employer from Feb - October 2014 and it was actually September 2014 to May 2016, they think you're hiding something.

@NoOneOwnsTheRainbow how exactly am I unreliable ?
How does caring for my mum make me unreliable

Hi OP

Sorry to hear this. I think the Experian checks were checking your credit history rather than your employment gaps. If you have a CCJ against you that could be the reason why

They will have seen your CV and work history and offered you the role in full knowledge that you had a lot of gaps in employment.

So I don't think that is the reason. It's fine to have be gaps but do ensure you can provide references from previous employers and ideally character reference too

Surely if I was unreliable and dis honest i would have just made things up?
Surely the fact I told the truth proved I wasn't a liar ?

It sucks, I know. I've been out of work since 2016 as a SAHP and sometimes wonder if I'll ever work again. However:

If the job is one where you have access to money or people's financial details then the employer is likely to check your own financial situation through an Experian reference in case you are a theft/embezzlement risk. Most people who steal from work do so when their own debts mount up.

For almost any other job, especially one which requires a bit of training or other investment before you're fully productive, they are going to run a mile from someone who never stays in the same job for more than a few weeks or months. Same would apply if you had a poor attendance record. All quite normal.