u/my_friend_miyaguchi

Thanks, everyone, for the reality check and advice. I won't respond to all, as some comments don't capture the full story.

My 2c after going through the responses:

1. Have a friend do a reference check for me - this is brilliant and much faster than POPIA. Will do this before anything formal.
2. Market is brutal - fair point. I might be fixating on references when other factors are at play. I was restructured out of a role along with many others, so it wasn't that I didn't have anything lined up.
3. POPIA if needed (employment information is covered under this act if I am not mistaken) - if the fake call confirms something's off, I'll pursue the formal route. If not, I'll focus on improving other areas.

Appreciate the honesty. Going to test the reference theory this week and update my CV regardless.

All the best to anyone applying for roles this week. Hope you land it :D

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I'm trying to work out whether I'm being paranoid or whether something's actually going on, and I'd really value some outside perspective.

I worked at a fairly good company (recognisable in certain business circles) from 2017 to early 2022, about 4 years. I started in an entry-level operations/admin role, got promoted twice, and left on my own terms for what looked like a good step up, and at the time, not a bad time for the team. While reflecting, I had gone through 7 managers, none of whom lasted more than 6-8 months in the role (even less), and I basically became self-reliant.

I still keep my own records of the work I completed. I even noticed some of my work mysteriously appearing at another company I was collaborating with, although I wasn't the one who introduced it there. I figured out that a teammate had copied all their previous work and simply pasted it into the new role, unaware that I had spent nearly a week putting that work together. Anyway...

No performance improvement plans, no warnings, no disciplinary issues. I left because I wanted to, not because anything went wrong.

The company was growing and restructuring constantly while I was there, and I was open with my managers that the pace was tough at times. But I kept delivering, which is presumably why I was kept around.

Here's what I can't make sense of: since I left in early 2022, I've basically hit a wall. I can't land roles I'm clearly qualified for — same level, sometimes a step below what I was already doing. I've burnt through savings and have been stitching together freelance work to get by. For 3.5 years my career moved steadily forward, and then the moment I leave, I can barely get a callback. The one new variable is that prospective employers now phone my old company for a references.

The other thing nagging at me: three managers I worked closely with for years have all gone quiet when I've reached out, just normal, friendly check-ins. Could be nothing. But it's three for three.

So I'm considering sending a POPIA Section 23 request to my former employer asking for my own records — job descriptions, promotion documentation, any performance reviews (and confirmation that no PIPs or warnings exist), and the content of any references they've given on my behalf, including who received them and when.

My questions for anyone who's been near this:

1. Has anyone actually done a POPIA request for reference content? Did the employer comply, or just stonewall with "we only confirm dates of employment"?
2. If they refuse or ignore it, what's the realistic next step?
3. If it turns out a reference contradicts my documented record — say it implies performance problems when I was promoted twice with no warnings — is that actually worth doing anything about in SA, or is it just throwing money at lawyers?
4. Am I right to be suspicious here, or is there a more boring explanation I'm not seeing?

I'm honestly not out for anything. I've essentially lost my income, and looking for some answers so I can move on.