pre employment checks for VS/TC

[Jessica Booker]

thank you!

I had another question about logistics. I have done a couple of informal placements in companies that are local to my area where there was only one person supervising me - the above is actually one of them. The problem is that this person/these people has/have since moved on/changed company, meaning that even if i put their email and phone down, it will be for Company B - their current employer - not Company A.

Wouldn't it give a bad impression if my only referee for a certain internship/shadowing placement had since moved company? After all how could the verification people even know that I was giving them a legit address of someone who had actually worked at the company?

people move companies all the time. There is one of three options for the reference company to speak to you about:

1. get in contact with someone else at the company to see if they can verify you were there (if there are any records)
2. Get in contact with the person who moved companies and ask them to verify the placement
3. Just hope the other references for your other experiences are sufficient

 

[Dom R]

hello! another two questions from me!

...

1. I have done 3 A2 exams (Politics, Geo, History) and 4 AS levels (Politics, Geo, History, English Lit). However, on my app, I had only put the three complete A-levels, and the AS level, instead of 3 A2 and 4 AS levels. I did this as the firm did not explictly ask for my AS levels (some firms do) and because I thought that the AS becomes integrated into the full A-level, so listing it separately seemed redundant. I'm also pretty sure that there was no such thing as a separate A2 qualification under the old system. No firm has followed up about this at app or interview stage. Will I be in trouble for this if I get an offer and go through screening?

2. I have done a vac scheme already. However, I incorrectly put the last day down as a Friday instead of a Thursday. I did this because I forgot that that Friday was a bank holiday and that we therefore weren't at the office. I think that the scheme technically ended on a Thursday. This probably won't be an issue at app stage but it'll definitely get found out if I get a TC and go through screening. Will I be in trouble for this?

 

[Jessica Booker]

hello! another two questions from me!


1. I have done 3 A2 exams (Politics, Geo, History) and 4 AS levels (Politics, Geo, History, English Lit). However, on my app, I had only put the three complete A-levels, and the AS level, instead of 3 A2 and 4 AS levels. I did this as the firm did not explictly ask for my AS levels (some firms do) and because I thought that the AS becomes integrated into the full A-level, so listing it separately seemed redundant. I'm also pretty sure that there was no such thing as a separate A2 qualification under the old system. No firm has followed up about this at app or interview stage. Will I be in trouble for this if I get an offer and go through screening?

2. I have done a vac scheme already. However, I incorrectly put the last day down as a Friday instead of a Thursday. I did this because I forgot that that Friday was a bank holiday and that we therefore weren't at the office. I think that the scheme technically ended on a Thursday. This probably won't be an issue at app stage but it'll definitely get found out if I get a TC and go through screening. Will I be in trouble for this?

1. No
2. Unlikely

 

[A friendly human]

I have recently had to go through this process for a new client I am working with and one of my references refused to acknowledge I existed, despite me working for them for 9 months and them paying me! In the end I had to show evidence in the form of emails between me and the company that confirmed the job and money that had gone into my bank account. There are typically some paper trails that you can use as evidence. But I very much doubt they will be that concerned a weeks work experience here and there if you have more substantial references.

hey just to follow up i'm still waiting to hear back about my checks (been 2 weeks) and i remembered you saying this

i had a question:

if the agency people get a negative sort of reply from a company: "we don't remember him/her" - how do they get back in touch with you to follow up? do they call? is it via email? do they CC in the company? just wondering about your experience

 

[Jessica Booker]

hey just to follow up i'm still waiting to hear back about my checks (been 2 weeks) and i remembered you saying this

i had a question:

if the agency people get a negative sort of reply from a company: "we don't remember him/her" - how do they get back in touch with you to follow up? do they call? is it via email? do they CC in the company? just wondering about your experience

Could be either - really depends on the reference companies processes and how urgently they need the information.

They wouldn’t cc the company in though - there is absolutely no reason to do that when they have said they don’t remember you.

 

[A friendly human]

Could be either - really depends on the reference companies processes and how urgently they need the information.

They wouldn’t cc the company in though - there is absolutely no reason to do that when they have said they don’t remember you.

thanks

do u know if and when i can hear back about whether they have further questions or whether i've passed? i can't find any info about this on the emails or online

 

[Jessica Booker]

thanks

do u know if and when i can hear back about whether they have further questions or whether i've passed? i can't find any info about this on the emails or online

when are you due to start the role or start a sponsored law course (GDL/LPC/SQE)?

 

[A friendly human]

when are you due to start the role or start a sponsored law course (GDL/LPC/SQE)?

2022 or 2023 lol. i've already done the GDL but i paid for it.

i've heard that they do the checks 3 months before the start date or just after you get the tc offer. is that true?

 

[Jessica Booker]

2022 or 2023 lol. i've already done the GDL but i paid for it.

i've heard that they do the checks 3 months before the start date or just after you get the tc offer. is that true?

then there is literally no rush on this. It isn’t urgent at all. Might not get clarity until the summer.

There is no one set process for references. It depends on the firm and the reference company. Have you even filled in all the details yet for the reference company?

 

[A friendly human]

then there is literally no rush on this. It isn’t urgent at all. Might not get clarity until the summer.

There is no one set process for references. It depends on the firm and the reference company. Have you even filled in all the details yet for the reference company?

okay i haven't - we've just gotten a bunch of emails telling us what can be checked etc

 

[Jessica Booker]

okay i haven't - we've just gotten a bunch of emails telling us what can be checked etc

If you haven’t even provided details yet, then you are getting ahead of yourself. You’ll need to provide contact details first for the reference company to then contact!!

I wouldn’t be paranoid about this process. The only reason to be worried is if you have provided false information/lied.

 

[Keren]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I have just come across this thread and I would be extremely grateful for your perspective! I secured a position with a firm and I am going through employment reference checks. I stated the accurate date (one-week) for one of my placements for my checks. But on my CV, I stated two-weeks (I originally had it as two weeks as I was certain the placement was from Monday - Monday - which rolled over to the following week). I updated my CV once I realised, but not this one! I have no reason to lie or be dishonest, all the things I achieved on that placement still stands - I was just out with that date! I have a smashing reference from that firm as well. I feel sick! Ah! What should I do?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I have just come across this thread and I would be extremely grateful for your perspective! I secured a position with a firm and I am going through employment reference checks. I stated the accurate date (one-week) for one of my placements for my checks. But on my CV, I stated two-weeks (I originally had it as two weeks as I was certain the placement was from Monday - Monday - which rolled over to the following week). I updated my CV once I realised, but not this one! I have no reason to lie or be dishonest, all the things I achieved on that placement still stands - I was just out with that date! I have a smashing reference from that firm as well. I feel sick! Ah! What should I do?

Let the reference company know the actual dates. There isn’t much else you can do.

It’s unlikely to be an issue though - assuming this is more of an informal work experience placement than a vacation scheme and that it wasn’t recent.

 

[Keren]

Let the reference company know the actual dates. There isn’t much else you can do.

It’s unlikely to be an issue though - assuming this is more of an informal work experience placement than a vacation scheme and that it wasn’t recent.

Phew - I was expecting the worst i.e. retraction of job offer! Yes - informal work experience placement, three years ago. The most important role was my paralegal one - which I definitely have the accurate dates for. So I'll just let the reference company know, and not my employer? Thanks @Jessica Booker !

 

[Jessica Booker]

Phew - I was expecting the worst i.e. retraction of job offer! Yes - informal work experience placement, three years ago. The most important role was my paralegal one - which I definitely have the accurate dates for. So I'll just let the reference company know, and not my employer? Thanks @Jessica Booker !

A retraction isn’t impossible but to me is so highly unlikely given the circumstances. It is a very short time of discrepancy and for an informal job some time ago. If all your other references are correct it is such a minor point, I can’t see it impacting their decision (but obviously the only people who really can confirm are the vetting agency and your future employer).

Just tell the vetting agency in the first instance.

 

[Keren]

A retraction isn’t impossible but to me is so highly unlikely given the circumstances. It is a very short time of discrepancy and for an informal job some time ago. If all your other references are correct it is such a minor point, I can’t see it impacting their decision (but obviously the only people who really can confirm are the vetting agency and your future employer).

Just tell the vetting agency in the first instance.

Thanks Jess, that makes me feel better! I have done so Have a great rest of your day!

 

[Bee6]

Hi I was wondering how long it usually takes to hear back from Vero?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi I was wondering how long it usually takes to hear back from Vero?

Vero are really struggling with a backlog of work at the moment (know this from personal experience as a candidate) - severely understaffed at the moment, so unless you are starting in the next two to three months, you are unlikely to hear back sometime soon.

 

[Bee6]

Vero are really struggling with a backlog of work at the moment (know this from personal experience as a candidate) - severely understaffed at the moment, so unless you are starting in the next two to three months, you are unlikely to hear back sometime soon.

Thanks @Jessica Booker ! My internship starts in 2 weeks - hopefully they'll be done by then! Please may I also know if Vero checks my academic referees as well (I added my academic referees in my CV but not in Vero's form)?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks @Jessica Booker ! My internship starts in 2 weeks - hopefully they'll be done by then! Please may I also know if Vero checks my academic referees as well (I added my academic referees in my CV but not in Vero's form)?

If the firm requests it, yes. Will depend on the policy of the firm and whether you providing any formal transcripts is sufficient