HELP - Ask for reference from team but no response

I secured a PE offer recently. The team has requested for a reference from my previous employer. I lateralled once and they wanted a reference from my initial bank

I worked very closely with an MD and VP and got good feedback before I lateralled. I reached out multiple times for a reference but both did not respond.

Anyone have experience in dealing with references? Am i screwed? I worked really hard for the offer and would be devastated for the offer to be pulled

What should I do?

5 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Hello,

I'm sorry you're in this position - it must be stressful.

As ideas (and these aren't "proven"or anything, I'm just brainstorming).

1) Have you tried reaching out to someone more junior you had a good relationship with? They might be able to give a review your new employer would accept, or even just walk into the MD's office and ask directly.

2) May ask (phone) the PA? You should be able to get thrugh to them through the switchboard. Maybe he / she can prompt the MD, or might tell you that they're on holiday.

3) Just to take the edge off, maybe ask the recruiter what happens in these cases? It might be the case that the new employer can accept a reference based on HR (e.g. internal review histories; these are kept).

If it helps, I can guarantee that your reference is very low on your old MD's priority list. It might not be vindictive or anything (and probably isn't - that's unprofessional on their part), just lazy / disorganised.

 

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