Ltd company... reference for a perm job?

[misteek]

Right guys.

I've been doing contracting through my limited company on an off for a period of 4 years. With a few perm jobs in between.

Unfortunately the agency won't give me a reference as I took too much time off and they didn't like it.

AS I will be applying for a permant role this time. How will I be able to get a reference?

[Old Greg]

Right guys.

I've been doing contracting through my limited company on an off for a period of 4 years. With a few perm jobs in between.

Unfortunately the agency won't give me a reference as I took too much time off and they didn't like it.

AS I will be applying for a permant role this time. How will I be able to get a reference?

Ask someone at a client co.

[Whorty]

Right guys.

I've been doing contracting through my limited company on an off for a period of 4 years. With a few perm jobs in between.

Unfortunately the agency won't give me a reference as I took too much time off and they didn't like it.

AS I will be applying for a permant role this time. How will I be able to get a reference?

What do they want in the reference .... proof that you worked in those clients for the dates you claim, or proof of your skills and you're trustworthy?

If the former, you could use your accountant (as they do your books based on your invoicing). Also you say you've done some perm jobs in that period so you should be using the referees (HR) for those companies.

If the latter, then ex-work colleagues will be fine; I often do refs for people I've worked with. I do these as personal refs and not on behalf of the companies i've worked in.

Unless you have a very good relationship with an agency, built up over many years, they're very unlikely to give you a ref.

[ladymuck]

Agencies will still confirm you were engaged at client X between dates a and b? They have to do that for lots of referencing needs so I don't understand why they are refusing.

[LondonManc]

Agencies will still confirm you were engaged at client X between dates a and b? They have to do that for lots of referencing needs so I don't understand why they are refusing.

Correct.

I've not been asked for a work reference for years (hence the whole need two references BS doesn't stack up any longer). As a contractor, the agency will confirm dates and that's all you want and all you should give. You don't want other agents getting leads on places you might go back to.

From a perm point of view, HR is the point of all references these days.

If you've not done so, ask ex-colleagues for a nice recommendation on LinkedIn.

[misteek]

The agency terminated my contract as they wouldn't allow me to take time off due to personal issues. So they have stated they will not give me a reference.

Yeah I need a reference to prove I worked in those places.