I’ve been on the job search lately and have noticed a frustrating trend: companies are asking for references before even scheduling an interview. Recently, I applied for a position where I reached out to my references, but after the interview, I didn’t receive an offer. I followed up with one of my references to let her know the outcome, but she stopped responding to me after that. I’ve contacted her for different opportunities in the past, including one that worked out, so I’m worried I might have burned a bridge, even though she was a great reference. Now, I’m in a situation where a recruiter is asking for very specific references from a previous job that didn’t go well. I was honest with them, explaining that I’ve lost contact with those colleagues and that some of them no longer work there. It’s frustrating to be asked for references at this stage, especially when I could provide better ones from other roles. I really don’t want to reach out to people I haven’t spoken to in years, especially since we didn’t have a great working relationship. I’m considering telling the recruiter that I’d prefer to provide references only after receiving a conditional job offer. I want to word it professionally, but I’m just feeling overwhelmed by the hoops I have to jump through. I’d love to hear any thoughts or similar experiences from others.