References for SAHM returning to work

[Anonymous]

I've been a SAHM for 4 years. I recently applied to a great job and got an interview! Which is awesome, except for the issue of references.

In the last 4 years I have been president of the PTA of my child's preschool, and I also started a non-profit organization.

It's been a long time since I last worked full-time and I don't want to use my supervisor as a reference. I do have one colleague who could be a good reference for me from that job.

Should I ask another mom on the PTA to be a reference for me? Or someone I worked with as a volunteer at my non-profit (who is also a good friend)? I'm not sure what would be the best approach here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been a SAHM for 4 years. I recently applied to a great job and got an interview! Which is awesome, except for the issue of references.

In the last 4 years I have been president of the PTA of my child's preschool, and I also started a non-profit organization.

It's been a long time since I last worked full-time and I don't want to use my supervisor as a reference. I do have one colleague who could be a good reference for me from that job.

Should I ask another mom on the PTA to be a reference for me? Or someone I worked with as a volunteer at my non-profit (who is also a good friend)? I'm not sure what would be the best approach here.

I say this as someone who has gone back to work after two different say stints, each at least three years long. You need at least two paid work supervisor references to be taken seriously. The thing re can be a former colleague provided they can speak to quality of your wor. Definitely not pita or other volunteer work.

[Anonymous]

Another PTA officer that you worked closely could be a good reference, as could the director of the school (if you worked with him/her). Non profit volunteer is a possibility too, but I think a colleague in the field would be preferable (even if not at your non-profit, anybody you worked with). Good luck! Speaking from the perspective of a hiring official, your role as PTA president required lots of skills that can be transferred to a workplace setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been a SAHM for 4 years. I recently applied to a great job and got an interview! Which is awesome, except for the issue of references.

In the last 4 years I have been president of the PTA of my child's preschool, and I also started a non-profit organization.

It's been a long time since I last worked full-time and I don't want to use my supervisor as a reference. I do have one colleague who could be a good reference for me from that job.

Should I ask another mom on the PTA to be a reference for me? Or someone I worked with as a volunteer at my non-profit (who is also a good friend)? I'm not sure what would be the best approach here.

I say this as someone who has gone back to work after two different say stints, each at least three years long. You need at least two paid work supervisor references to be taken seriously. The thing re can be a former colleague provided they can speak to quality of your wor. Definitely not pita or other volunteer work.

Sorry, pat not pita. The other typos are obviously s.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the suggestions. I do not want to use my supervisor from my last job as a reference. While I gave plenty of advance notice and resigned on good terms, my supervisor did not like me and would probably give me a bad reference. However, I have a co-worker or two from that job who would give me a good reference, though I have not kept in touch with them since I resigned. How will this be viewed that I wouldn't use my supervisor as a reference?

I could ask another PTA person to be another reference. And I could ask someone from the non-profit I started. But I am concerned about what to say/how it will be viewed to not have my old supervisor be a reference.

This is an hourly, part-time position I am applying for, not related to my old field. No benefits and a much lower salary than I had before.

[Anonymous]

I'd definitely use that coworker as a reference. At least one of your references should be professional, not from volunteer work, IMO. When I returned to work, I used a former colleague as a reference, not my most recent supervisors because I was unable to get in touch with them.

[Anonymous]

For an hourly job, maybe a pta reference would be ok. For a professional job, I would want to talk to someone who had supervised you for paid work. The fact that you don't want to give your prior supervisor for fear it will be bad is,exactly the reason most places will wonder why it is missing.

[Anonymous]

OP here. So I sent a nice email to 1 co-worker and 1 supervisor whom I worked with at my last job asking if they would be a reference for me. No response. What should I do now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So I sent a nice email to 1 co-worker and 1 supervisor whom I worked with at my last job asking if they would be a reference for me. No response. What should I do now?

You sent it less than 24 hours ago, you need to give them a little more response time than that. If you don't hear from them, though, I would ask someone else fairly senior in the non-profit you formed for a reference, and would ask a school administrator you worked with as PTA president as well.

[Anonymous]

OP here. So I heard back from one who declined. I haven't heard from the other one yet.

So I may only have 2 references. I was thinking that if the job says that's not enough to be considered then I was thinking I would ask if I could volunteer in the role for 2 months and then be considered for hire given that I will have less than the 3 customary professional references. What do you think of that? This is an hourly, low paying position, I don't know what it pays but I would guess $10 per hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So I heard back from one who declined. I haven't heard from the other one yet.

So I may only have 2 references. I was thinking that if the job says that's not enough to be considered then I was thinking I would ask if I could volunteer in the role for 2 months and then be considered for hire given that I will have less than the 3 customary professional references. What do you think of that? This is an hourly, low paying position, I don't know what it pays but I would guess $10 per hour.

You can't work for free. That's illegal.

[Anonymous]

OP here. What do you mean you can't work for free? There's plenty of professional level volunteer work out there. Well, unfortunately for this job I won't have any professional references to offer. Maybe they will let me work for a reduced rate for 2 months and then if they like my work decide to hire me.

If this job doesn't work out then I will find some professional level volunteer work to do in the next year, so in a year or so I will have some strong references to use for a future job search.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So I heard back from one who declined. I haven't heard from the other one yet.

So I may only have 2 references. I was thinking that if the job says that's not enough to be considered then I was thinking I would ask if I could volunteer in the role for 2 months and then be considered for hire given that I will have less than the 3 customary professional references. What do you think of that? This is an hourly, low paying position, I don't know what it pays but I would guess $10 per hour.

I didn't realize people declined giving references!? Is there a reason given -- has it just been too long?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So I heard back from one who declined. I haven't heard from the other one yet.

So I may only have 2 references. I was thinking that if the job says that's not enough to be considered then I was thinking I would ask if I could volunteer in the role for 2 months and then be considered for hire given that I will have less than the 3 customary professional references. What do you think of that? This is an hourly, low paying position, I don't know what it pays but I would guess $10 per hour.

I didn't realize people declined giving references!? Is there a reason given -- has it just been too long?

OP here. They said they barely remembered me, that it had been too long and they wouldn't be able to remember any details about my work product.

[Anonymous]

This thread should be required reading for anyone wanting to become a SAHM.

Op, what do you mean you started a nonprofit? Did it not get off the ground? What's its status now?