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Issues about references and work history - scammed by previous GP practice employer

Hi,

My previous employment as a PCN pharmacy technician ended after a dispute with the employer which resulted in me being dismissed after a few months into the job.

I would have quit the job as they lied to me about duties/career progression (basically promised training etc but I found out I was just going to be used as a locum replacement (so NO training)), but before I could quit, they did a surprise (& illegal) dismissal. They paid compensation after I threatened legal action and agreed to give a *basic* reference as part of the legal agreement.

The basic reference consists of start date/end date/position, but most pharmacy employers seem to want a personal reference eg scoring on personal characteristics such as attendance, honesty, reliability etc, from the previous employer. Obviously they will not provide this!!

So my question is how do I get my career back on track without any real (personal) references.

Should I apply to locum/temp agencies ? Does anyone know if they are more lenient in the references dept?

Should I try just going to a few local pharmacies and asking for work or take lower pay or lower paid work like pharmacy assistant?

Should i volunteer somewhere? But where and what field?

Should I do something else that is similar eg clinical trials work / phlebotomy / etc and build my work history back up that way?

I am really stuck in this catch 22 situation. I am a pharmacy tech of 5 years and have no ability to provide references so don't know how to go about getting another job. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks

Reply 1

Aaravi

I faced challenges with references and work history due to being scammed by a former GP practice employer. It's been a difficult experience, but I'm working to resolve it