Making up a reference - will it go against me in future applications?

[curiousnut]

I've recently left a long relationship and I really desperately need to find work or i won't be able to pay bills on the amount of UC I am getting. I have a disability so that narrows down the work I can actually do.

I've been applying but not getting anywhere since I have no recent work experience. Last time I worked was many years ago.

A job has come up which is absolutely perfect for me and which I'd be so so happy to work in.

My sister says I should put her down as a reference and say I was her nanny.

I am tempted to do that. I know I can do the job as I am qualified for it and it is all DBS checked and everything.

My concern is that these jobs don't come up often and if they find out, then would it go against me when applying for the same company in future?? How likely are they to find out??

Because if so, I might not risk it. I am going to try get voluntary work to get a reference but from experience, this takes a while before they are willing to give a reference, if at all. I really need to get work before then.

My issue is - I can do the jobs - I just have no proof I can. I'm a mid 30s woman with no work history or references

OP so many people will tell you not to but I think under the circumstances I would. Anyone who tells you that they have never done anything like that is having you on. I hope all goes well for you.

I'm sorry, I know it sounds like a great idea, but if you are ever found out, given the DBS checks etc you say are required, you risk loosing your job. It's just not worth it.
Have you got a friend who can give a character reference? That, combined with a reference from the last time you worked might be enough?

@JurasicPerks The applications all say 2 references and one MUST be a work reference. Including the job I really want. I could get a character reference but te last time I worked was 2008!! So zero work references.

I would OP. I know loads of people that have made up references and in your circumstances I wouldn't blame you.

But yes it would 100% go against you if they found out and you'd more than likely lose your job.

2008 is fine. Put it down.
A friend was made redundant after 25 years with the company. She used her 2 previous places of work - so one was from a company she left a quarter of a century ago.

You absolutely won't get the job if you don't apply, and references are usually taken after they offer you the job. So they would check them out after they know they want to employ you.

@JurasicPerks Where I worked 2003 - 2008 don't even have any records of me anymore and no one remembers me (I called and asked). So that won't work as a reference will it? Sorry, I'm unsure about how all this works.

Plenty of people make up references. Plenty of people have 'creative' CVs. It doesn't mean they can't do the job, and do it well.

Just put down your last job, the 2008 one. I really wouldn't recommend inventing a job that has no history of tax or NI that may cause issues with a DBS check and any UC claim going forward.

No I wouldn't, often references confirm the date and job title with the employer- your sister going on the record fabricating this is a no no. I know its tempting but personally I wouldn't, even if you get the job it's a reason for dismissal once in post, it's not worth it. Some places even check with HRMC, if it's a government job that's much more likely. I'd email the recruiter and be honest and ask if you can supply a second character reference, I have shortlisted and interviewed lots of people and have accepted this before.

Work references now will usually just say, X worked for us from DATE to DATE. So you can put down your 2008 job. It doesn't matter that no one there remembers you, HR will just pull up that information from their records.

Too risky to use a fake reference. And if caught, you'd almost certainly be sacked. And then how would you get another job, if you lost your last due to dishonesty?

Put the 2008 reference. They probably won’t even look at it until they’re at job offer stage. If you put in a fake reference you risk having to invent a whole fake job and fake experience which would be really stressful in an interview and then you’d have to continue the lie in the job! Also what happens if they google the fake company name and it doesn’t exist?

Exactly what @hoorayandupsherises and @DeyHuggee said.

I would.
I wrote and entirely fictious reference for a friend that enabled her to get on an access course. She is a college lecturer now! No regrets.

Depends what the job is really. Anything requiring a DBS check I would be wary of as some employers will check with HMRC to see if your tax records agree with your application. So if you've completely made up a job they will find out.

But it depends on the job as to what checks are likely. Civil service wouldn't risk it. Local authority/education/health would be worth a try. Obviously if there's a way you could do without a dodge reference that would be much less stressful.

Go for it. A lot of companies won’t even ask much about you anyway and, even if they do, all you sister has to say is that she is only prepared to say that you worked for her between XX-XX. Just make it as uncomplicated as possible.

No please do not do it because it is fraud. As pp have said put your last employment

Former HR here. I would. I'm in a somewhat similar situation. Went for an interview a while back and they took up references at interview stage and my last employer (2017) never replied (she's a flaky one man band) and the one from 2015 said they couldn't provide one as they didn't know me (all the staff had changed) and wouldn't do a factual dates and salary one. The company I worked for before that made almost everyone redundant and relocated, again no one knows me. I have my former Manager from 2015 who also left but its from her personal email address. Like you I'm perfectly capable, just no evidence.

I think it would be better, for your own peace of mind if anything, to put down the 2008 job, which is a work reference. If you get the job putting your sister down as a reference you'll always be worrying that they'll find out and you might get the sack.

I used to get calls sometimes in an old job from people wanting to check references from our company, I'd never heard of 99% of them but I would just look them up on our system and confirm that they had worked there for x dates. It's not a character reference.

These days all anyone will say as a former employer in a reference is the dates you worked there. The 2008 one will be fine for that.

Don't invent references or otherwise blatantly lie on CVs.

If you get caught you will lose the job and yes, you will ruin any chances of ever working for that company ever again.

I’d do it IF I’d actually carried out some of the nannying activities for your sister - babysitting, days out, etc. because then you have sort of done the job as a volunteer and so a mainly truthful reference could be written. I wouldn’t if I was applying for a job as a fork lift truck driver and was asking someone to write a reference extolling my fork lift truck driving skills when I’d never driven one.

You need to get some volunteer work asap and use them as a work reference

That's such a classic lie!!

As an employer we have heard that one so so many times!

Could it have been unofficially true? Did you do lots of babysitting and days out?

I mean, there's total lies and then there's putting a fancy label on something.

Presumably you could always say it was unpaid and for experience if they dug into it?