A major blow and a letter to Stagecoach

I've yet again been the victim of bad luck. My application to drive for a Peterborough based bus company has been terminated due to 'unsatisfactory references'. This is absolutely unbelievable! I have never in my entire 20 year IT career had a single bad reference or have I had any doubt whatsoever cast upon any position I have held. I am angry, very angry and to make matters worse, they aren't obliged to give a reason for their decision. This is my response;

Dear Mr Lawson

I am in receipt of your letter dated 9^th September which I was shocked and dismayed to receive, and I am saddened that after numerous calls, no one has contacted me to discuss the situation or ask me to assist. This has left me and my family distraught.

I cannot understand how after 5 weeks you have decided that my references are ‘unsatisfactory’ and that this is the reason your offer of employment has been withdrawn. I have always been able to rely on my references and those specifically suggested in my application have never in any way let me down for previous positions and I selected Churchill/RBS due to my length of service with them. In particular, I find it unbelievable that you haven’t received a ‘satisfactory’ reference for over 15 years continuous service with Churchill Insurance and RBS. Surely if this was found to be lacking then a phone call to me would have enabled me to provide further references. I have no problem with this.

I suggested Mrs Janet Giles to provide my second reference as I believed my role with her to be relevant to the role I was undertaking.

I applied for the position of Trainee Bus Driver not simply because it was ‘a job’ but because it meant more to me than that. I have since young always wanted to drive buses and I had thought that my enthusiasm perhaps would have translated during my initial interview and subsequent driving assessment with John Morton. I am passionate about public transport and I was really thrilled at the prospect of being able to work with Stagecoach, a company for which I have enormous respect.

As you should already know, I have been struggling for some time to complete my CPC training and gain my full license though I had paid for and completed the first two modules myself including the study materials needed for the remaining modules, such was my level of commitment. I also applied for and gained my provisional category D license.

During my IT career, have always given ‘110%’ to any position I have held and I have been a committed and loyal employee. My long service with Churchill and RBS should have reflected this. I cannot help but believe there has been a mistake which has led you to your decision. This decision has deprived me of my opportunity to pursue the career I have longed for and left me at a loss to explain to those around me how my references are in some way responsible for ending my new career before it had even started.

Cont >

I fully appreciated the importance of good references but please be assured that I have never had doubt cast on my previous long career in IT and I have full confidence in my ability to prove this. I am able to provide numerous additional references that would immediately dispel any doubts you may have about my suitability and I would be more than prepared to meet any additional expense this may incur.

Please be assured that any concerns whatsoever regarding my suitability are completely without foundation and I request that you allow me the opportunity to provide the information you need so this matter can be put right.

I so much want the opportunity to complete my training and provide the same level of loyalty and commitment to Stagecoach as I have to every job I have held. I respectfully ask that you please reconsider your decision. I appreciate that ‘company policy’ dictates your actions, but I feel a mistake has been made and that I have been unfairly treated as all the information I have provided has been in good faith and in line with what I understood to be required.

Though this wasn’t requested, I attach a copy of my CV which details fully my work history.

Yours sincerely

So there we are. They have decided to upset the wrong person. Bad move Stagecoach, very bad move. If I don't receive a satisfactory response I will write to their head office enclosing a copy of this letter.

So I've been knocked down once again. But I cannot stay down. I've immediately applied for an IT support position at a local school. It's literally just down the road so not far to go at all. The position isn't hugely demanding by any means and if anything I may be over-qualified. But it's worth a try and though it's not what I really want to be doing - having decided to leave my IT career behind me - I'd be comfortable doing it. It combines two of my other passions, education and IT. I posted my application yesterday having tried in vain to locate a letter box or gap big enough to accommodate my envelope. I just hope it arrives in time as the closing date for applications is Monday. 

As I type this, a storm has just appeared and there is torrential rain. At least I won't now have to water my plants... We have Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides playing in the background. I'm trying to watch while I type - a pretty impossible thing to do.

I'm typing this entry on my Mum's laptop. I bought it or her a couple of Christmas's ago. It's nothing special but in better shape than my own. I used the excuse that my son would find it useful as it would assist with his learning. He's currently learning the alphabet using phonics and simple numbers. I'm hoping it will live here from now on as my Mum has never used it and probably never will.

Oh please let me have some luck, just a little...