Shakyuk

As part of my PR application, I am required to submit work experience references.
In 10 years I have worked for 6 engineering companies, 2 as a staff employee and 4 as a self employed contractor.
For all I plan on writing a template with all the information CIC require already filled in which a person at the relevant company can copy and paste onto letterheaded paper and sign. For my contract positions I'll also send copies of my contract. CIC state it must be an immediate supervisor, however I know a number of companies I have worked for have policies where only HR can provide references.

My questions:
1. Do you think CIC will accept my pre-written reference signed on their letterhead? I would imagine with the exception of the letterhead that the content will look very similar in format. Has anyone done this and had CIC accept it?
2. Has anyone had experience with HR being the people to sign the reference and not their immediate supervisor?

Former Lancastrian

Although having template copy and paste might look suspicious are the contents true and accurate? Perhaps doing the template and tweaking it somewhat doesn't make it exactly the same.
If it is the policy of HR not to have an immediate supervisor sign then I suggest that the HR person puts that in so if IRCC came back you simply tell IRCC you are asking me to get something my employer won't give me.

Shakyuk

Well the contents won't be exactly the same, in most cases the position title and hours worked will be the same, but the duties and rate of pay will change. I was more thinking the template may be similar, if not identical. I think I'm more likely to have success in getting what I want doing it this way though.

Good suggestion about the HR making a note regarding their policy to not have any other than HR give references.

DigitalGhost

On a related note, if you do/have worked as an independent or self-employed contractor in the UK then do you list the agency and umbrella company as references on the application or the client to which you were assigned?

I know in the case of a few clients I have worked with, all reference forms have to be signed by HR, even for internal employees and local management are not allowed to sign anything or offer personal/character references anymore.

Shakyuk

I'll be using the end company and not the agent just because the reference is to prove skilled work experience and I think it'll have more weight coming from the company rather than the agent.

DigitalGhost

Cool. As long as the end client are happy to do that for you then that sounds like the better route to me. I guess my only concern was that any employment contracts would usually have an agreement signed with the agent rather than the end client on them though.

Shakyuk

It is true that the signature on the contract is signed by the agent where I have used one but the client is named too. I'll upload both the contract and the reference.


I've left on very good terms with all of my previous clients, all have said they'll find work for me if I ever want to return and so I'm pretty sure they'll give me a reference. I think I've been lucky to have worked for some good people. Although saying that I have turned down a few contracts due to not having a good feeling about the person.


Whatever happens I'll post an update down the line then others going this route can see the outcome.


Thank you for the replies.

beckiwoo

Yes that's what I did.

I had a template and I tweaked it with the relevant info, dates, job title and job duties. Although you could tell all three were from a template, the info was different in each one. All I needed the HR person to do was check it, put it on headed paper and sign it.

Yeah it had to be HR dept. for two of my letters and the third one was the owner of the company as it was a small organization with no HR dept.

Shakyuk

Thanks, I'm glad you replied as you've got PR so have been through the process and can confirm this was ok