REFERENCES AND MAKING THE MOST OF THEM

References will make or break you in your job search, and you need to pay attention to who you select as your references and how you manage people who have agreed to vouch for you. Consider some of the following thoughts and determine how sound you are being in this critical aspect of your job search.

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF REFERENCES:

1. Work References – people who can vouch for you as a worker.

2. Character References – people who can vouch for your character (e.g., personality, integrity, reliability, temperament).

I would suggest you provide at least three work references and two character ones.

Employers do have an interest in your personal character and are concerned if you will fit into their work atmosphere. More people are fired because they cannot get along with others than for any other reason. Employers do not want people who will be disruptive and at odds with fellow workers. I urge you to list at least two character references along with your work references. Carefully choose those people who will be giving information about your character.

STEPS IN SELECTING REFERENCES:

1. Make a list of potential references. These should be people who can attest to your skills, abilities and personal character, and whom you feel has or had faith in you. Do not select people who will just testify to when you worked there.

2. Be sure that these people like and respect you and will give an honest appraisal. You might be wise to indicate to them your career goals and the types of jobs you will be applying for.

3. Shy away from listing people with whom you have had conflicts or who you feel did not like you. Your selection of the right people is critical, as it can mean the difference between a job offer and a letter of rejection.

4. Call, e-mail or send a letter to people you select asking if you can use them as a reference. If they seem to hesitate, it is best not to use them and move on to others.

5. When contacting potential references, you have an opportunity to show them your resume and to get feedback and suggestions from an important source.

WHO SHOULD YOU SELECT FOR WORK REFERENCES?:

Select people who can attest to your skills, work attitude, and who will give an honest appraisal of your work – such as:

● A manager, supervisor or company owner (if it was a small firm).

● Former co-workers can also be an important selection for a reference.

● Retired supervisors or retired former co-workers.

● People in adjoining departments who have a knowledge of your skills.

● Salespeople/representatives/contacts from firms that you did business with and with whom you have built a good relationship.

PROVIDING RELEVANT INFORMATION:

When listing a reference, be sure to give the name, job title, and contact information.

References should be listed on a separate page titled "REFERENCES" for when you are applying for a job and have indicated "References Available Upon Request".

WHEN TO LIST REFERENCES ON YOUR RESUME:

For smaller firms, you may consider listing your references and their contact information at the end of your resume. Small firms comprise about 80% of the firms in Colorado and most firms in the United States are considered small firms. You may be dealing with an owner, co-owner or hiring authority when applying to a small firm. By putting references on your resume, you can gain an advantage. An employer could easily make a call, like what they hear, and call you in for an interview.

With large firms such as Ball, IBM, and QWEST, I would suggest you state "References Available Upon Request". This is standard procedure with larger firms and it continues to be in vogue.

If you make an in person cold call to a firm and have an opportunity to meet with a hiring authority, you are wise to take a list of references to leave with them along with your resume if they show an interest in you. Furnishing references on the spot can give you an advantage.

STAYING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR REFERENCES:

Staying in touch with your references is critical, and you can do so via e-mails, text messages, telephone calls, and/or personal visits over lunch or coffee.

Let them know how your job search is going. This is also an opportunity to ask for job leads and/or suggestions for your job search. Usually, your references are going to be people who know a great deal about your skills, so this constant contact is very important.

How often should you update these people? I would suggest every 2-3 weeks. A lot also depends on how recently they have been contacted by an employer. Keep them updated and also continue to ask them for job lead information.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF A COMPANY WILL ONLY STATE THE GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME YOU WORKED THERE AND WILL NOT LET MANAGERS GIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU?:

Contact former co-workers who are still with the company and ask to use them as a reference.

Contact people who have retired from the company who can attest to your work.

Contact people from companies you have previously worked for.

Do not forget employees of competing or supporting companies who can attest to your work.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND DO NOT HAVE CURRENT REFERENCES?:

Use a functional resume which indicates your skills.

Explain with a cover letter why you have been out of the work force. You can say: I tried self-employment, personal leave, rest and rehabilitation, leave to give support to a family member, medical leave (must explain this at some point – perhaps during an interview), or to pursue an alternate career.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE BEEN FIRED:

This happens, and you need to be tactful in explaining it. Many times, employers will still recommend you and are even willing to explain that there was a personality conflict or a conflict within a department. They may say that you were a good worker and can indicate skills you used well, but that you lacked a certain skill which the firm needed. Other ways around this include:

● Soliciting a reference from a former supervisor.

● Using references from a co-worker or manager who may have moved over to another department.

● Using a reference from a supervisor who may have retired from the company.

● Being upfront about the reason for firing and how you have overcome the problem.

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HANDLING A BAD REFERENCE

HOW DO YOU HANDLE A BAD REFERENCE WHO IS RUINING YOU?:

It can happen to any of us. We can get a bad reference and not even know it. One bad reference can keep you from getting employment. If possible, you need to find out what they are saying about you.

You can have someone call for you and ask what kind of a recommendation would be given. I have done this for members of Christian Career Circle. I indicated that I am a Career Counselor working with this person and want to know what kind of a reference would be given. Usually, this is possible with smaller companies where you might even talk directly to the employer. Larger firms tend to be willing to state that the employee worked at the firm on the given dates and that it is company policy to only give out this information.

The person making such statements can be asked if they are willing to indicate what skills the worker used well. If they are giving malicious and inaccurate information, they can be reminded that they may be making illegal statements. They can also be reminded that it is against company policy to say more than the periods of time you worked there – if this is company policy and they are saying more.

So, what are your options? There are options that you have if you believe it is happening to you. The following are some which you might consider:

1. Get in touch with your last supervisor at the firm. Ask he/she if you can use them as a reference. If they hesitate to answer, you will probably not get a positive reference from this person, and you will need to go to other people in the firm.

2. If you have found that your manager will not give you a positive reference, you could ask this person if there were portions of your job that were satisfactory that he/she would speak positively about and even perhaps write a reference letter describing those work activities.

3. Are there former managers you worked with who have left the company that you could contact who would give you a good reference? If so, use them and if possible, get them to write you a reference letter.

4. Ask a former co-worker that you have a good rapport with who also knows the quality of your work if you can use them as a reference. You also might ask this person and other co-workers if they would write you a positive reference letter.

5. If you have had a good interview and the time has come for the employer to ask for references, you may want to tackle the issue head on and tell him/her that you had a positive work experience at the firm and some issues with your last manager, BUT that you can furnish references from other managers and former co-workers who know your work history well.

6. If the bad reference is from one work experience, you may want to admit what happened, how it was handled, and how you have learned from the experience so that it will not happen again. Then, cite that your work history with your last employer is otherwise all positive. You could also indicate that you can furnish positive references and letters of reference from former co-workers. This might offset the bad one.

7. Another alternative (assuming you can get a partial, positive reference) is to modify or limit your job search to work activities for which you can get a positive reference AND perhaps indicating that you do have work experience in the areas for which you cannot get a positive report.

8. Find another reference within the company – someone retired or from a previous job.

I HOPE THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS HELPFUL TO YOU IN YOUR JOB SEARCH.

Bob Raikes, National Certified Career Counselor