Question about Academic References on Resume

Parent Cafe
1

<p>At the University I transferred from, there were two people who ran honors programs (I was a member of both honors programs) and they let me "use" them as reference. And, yes, I asked their permission and everything.</p>

<p>I live in a very high crime, identity theft, dishonest city, so I felt compelled to have references from the University I used to attend so potential employers would be able to validate my where-a-bouts for the past two full years or so.</p>

<p>At the present time, I have a humble means of employment. And, I am on the verge of either obtaining a second job or trying really hard to find a new job which pays a more fair wage. For next year, I have to (maybe) pay out of pocket for a fair amount of my schooling so I am trying to organise things now.</p>

<p>Recently, I applied for a position in a photo lab at a department store. I actually worked at a photo lab at the department store I applied to and am still in their "system", because I gave a nice notice on account of having to move to another state. This is a nation wide department store I am talking about. The hiring manager called me twice and said that she could not verify my most current references (The Honors program heads) at all. The two folks at my former University of attendance said they could no longer place a name with a face. </p>

<p>Since my former University of attendance has a good 30,000 people going to it- I cannot blame anyone for not remembering me at all. And since I transferred to another University anyway, I cannot blame anyone for forgetting me or whathaveyou.</p>

<p>Therefore, my question is...</p>

<p>Would it be easier if I just stapled my unofficial transcript to my resume? And then just do a nice write up on my resume with regards to my being a former honors student for those two years or so. </p>

<p>Would anyone doubt that? I mean, I am thinking they could call the Transcript office if they thought I was a liar.</p>

<p>It is odd because where I live if you have some gaps in your resume, people think you were on unemployment or state aid. There is nothing wrong with that, it just in no way applies to my situation at all.</p>

<p>Even though I went back to work a while ago - some employers do not believe that I went to University for two full years and studied my rear off and obtained scholarships and things. I went to a small employment fair a while back, wore my nicest clothes and the whole nine yards and most everyone at this small employment fair asked me how long I was a WELFARE mother for the two years I went to University. That is how bad things are where I live. No one thinks that you maybe have a nice family who loves you and tries to be nice and gives you suppport when you are studying hard at University. No offense to Welfare mothers, btw. I think that maybe people thought that because I am "older"? </p>

<p>Where I am finishing up my schooling by doing the online opp, my academic advisor said they have no problem with my putting them as a reference in order for anyone who needs to to verify the fact that I am doing the online opp at my University. </p>

<p>What do you guys figure would be the most honest seeming thing to do? I just need to make sure that the fact that I studied at my former University of attendance is something which people can easily verify because I truly live in a very dishonest city.</p>

<p>I am slowly working on just making my resume look better and more professional. My resume is totally honest and there is no lying going on with it except that at two jobs, I rounded off a tiny bit with regards to my length of employment. Meaning, I put two years instead of 23 months on one. And, I put one full year instead of 10 1/2 months on another.</p>

2

<p>Have you checked that the two profs are still at the university? If so, is it possible for you to contact them directly and ask them for a reference? Depending on how long ago they wrote the first one, they may still have it in their computer. If not, they might be willing to provide a new one, in which case you should give them as much information as possible about you and what you did in their programs and what you've done since.</p>

3

<p>Yeah, they are still at the University. It is just that the main one the hiring manager called claimed that they could not put a name with a face at all?! I cannot blame them, really. It is hurtful because it makes me out to be a liar or something because this one honors head forgot that she gave me her word that I could put her contact information on my resume.</p>

<p>It is a semi funny thing, because in case anyone was interested, this whole thing was brought to my attention when a WAL MART manager called me. </p>

<p>I do not know what to do. I made a call to the registrar and they said that due to the very high amount of identity theft where I live one is on their own if they want any sort of write up verifying they attended the school. So, I figure it would be best to just staple a copy of my blessed transcripts from the school onto my resume. </p>

<p>I transferred from this University a while back and due to having a nice family as well as earning scholarships and grants and things, I cannot claim to have worked when I went to the school. The only thing I can do is be sure to toally go as far out of my way as possible to verify to others that I used to go to the school.</p>

<p>At the present moment I am totally on the verge of just giving my resume a bit of an overhaul as a result of all of this. And, when I say overhaul, I do not mean that in a dishonest way. It is just like I feel paranoid because of how I live where there is soo much fraud and crime that I feel as though I should go as far out of my way as humanly possible to be as honest as honest can be.</p>

4

<p>Maybe you can email a photo of yourself. I have terrible trouble putting faces and names together myself, so I sympathize with the prof, as well as you. A photo might jog her memory.</p>

5

<p>I doubt that the people in question would remeber my face at all. I am thinking of writing them a letter to refresh their memories and attch my unofficial transcript to that letter. </p>

<p>The funny thing is that, when I asked about this while I was still at the school, I plainly just asked permission to have them on my resume in order for a potential emplyer to be able to easily verify my claim of having done honors. I actually put on my resume that one can call either honors head to verify a thing or two. Not really much more than that, you know?</p>

<p>I need to move. I live in one of the most crime ridden, dishonest, horrible, areas of the US.</p>