What you say about your references in your job interview can kill your chances to get the job--not to mention what they say about you when they're called! Your references are a huge factor in your success--they can make you or break you (see How Bad References Can Kill Your Job Search). But I just talked to a candidate who, even though her references aren't negative, is making a fatal but common mistake when asked about them.
Listen to this audio to find out what her mistake is and how you can avoid it:
Background checks are a standard part of the hiring process for many companies, and it's not just your references they're checking. I ran across a terrific article on What to Expect From a Background Check that you should see. It covers:
whether or not your permission is required (and if you should ask)
pre-employment background checks, as well as checks for long-term employees (there's some Supreme Court action going on now on when background checks go too far)
what kinds of things might jeopardize your chances of landing the job
whether or not your credit will be checked
how you can best prepare for your own background check
Do you know how to handle the references question? I just talked to a candidate who's making a fatal mistake when asked about her references. Listen to this audio to find out what it is and how to avoid it:
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Have you ever wondered if it carries more weight to have a written reference letter, or if it makes a better impression to have your reference speak directly to the hiring manager on the phone? Watch this video and we’ll examine the differences and let you know which type of reference best fits various situations:
If you’re asked about your references in the job interview, do you have a few names ready?
Do you know what those people would say about you when they are called?
In today’s video, I’ll tell you how to choose the best references, how to make sure they say fantastic, glowing things about you, and why it’s so important to the success of your job search.
Today's job search is unlike any job search you've ever seen before. And if you're searching while you're unemployed, it's even harder. I was recently featured in a CNN article offering advice for unemployed workers, and I wanted to share an additional tip for you on how you can use your resources to give yourself some leverage:
If you're struggling in the job search, sign up for How to Get a Better Job - Faster! It's a one-hour, free webinar absolutely packed with practical and powerful tips and strategies to help you land the job you want.
References are so often an afterthought, but they shouldn’t be. The people you will rely on for a great job reference should be on your mind at least once a month, even if you are not currently looking for a job. A great reference can make a huge difference in the success of your job search. For instance, I once had a great candidate that my client company was not excited about. The candidate perceived that there was a roadblock and had one of his references call me to proactively tell me about this candidate. That is impressive. And that is what gets you the job.
What not to do:
1. Don’t give me (the recruiter) or your potential employer a reference who can hardly remember you, or who can't be relied on to call back.
2. Don’t give me your college roommate. I want a work reference...a relevant reference...a GREAT reference.
The job market is tough right now. There have been layoffs upon layoffs in many industries. Worse, some companies are making it a policy to restrict managers to the most basic information when giving a reference--what you did for the company, how long you worked there, and why you exited the company. A lot of candidates just accept that this is OK, but it isn't. If you've worked hard for someone, and you've done a great job, then they owe you a good reference--I don't care what the company says.
It may seem impossible to get around company policy in this situation, but there is something you can do. It won't work every time, but it will work sometimes, and isn't your job search important enough for you to try? Watch this video so I can show youexactly what to say to get your former manager to give you a reference, even if the company has told him not to.
Your job references are important to your job search success. They're the last step in the interview process, and you have to take just as much care with them as you do with anything else--like your resume, your interview skills, your brag book, or your 30/60/90-day plan. A great reference could easily be what convinces a hiring manager who's on the fence about you to go ahead and hire you. And a bad one can knock you out of the running faster than you can blink. Recommendations carry a lot of weight.
Today’s post is from guest author Heidi Allison-Shane, Managing Director, www.allisontaylor.com.
Inquiring minds want to know, and no minds are more inquiring than those about to hire you. Rest assured, you will be investigated. As a rule of thumb, the better the job and the higher the pay, the tougher the screening process. If you are up for a good job at a visible company, your references and past employers will be checked in great detail. Your list of references is simply the beginning of the investigation a prospective employer will conduct.
When a prospective employer has completed the first round of interviews and you are among the top candidates, its next logical step is to check your references and interview those individuals to whom you reported. Are you certain these individuals will seal the deal for you, or will they blow it away? If you are like most people, you probably haven’t given your references much thought. Instead, you have focused on your resume, interviewing skills, networking, and what to wear to the interview. Now the focus shifts.
Your biggest concern should be the quality of your references and recommendations from past employers, because they can make or break your chances. About half of all references that get checked range from mediocre to poor, so it is very possible that the great job you lost out on at the last moment had nothing to do with your skill level. It could have had more to do with what a reference or past employer said about you. So, if you are concerned that someone, somewhere, might be giving you a bum rap, you are probably right. That’s a frightening scenario when your livelihood is at stake.
Here is a sampling of the damaging comments HR people and line managers hear when they check references:
• “Our company policy prohibits us saying anything. We can only verify dates of employment and title.” Then the reference goes on to say something like, “Check his references very, very carefully.”
• “Are you certain he gave my name as a reference?”
• “After we settle our lawsuit…”
• “Let me see what the paperwork says I am able to give out regarding _______.”
• “Is he still in this field?”
References and past employers won’t call and warn you that they are not going to be complimentary. The reference situation is ever changing and therefore very volatile because of shifting company policies (not that many employees choose to follow them anyway), new employees in HR departments, new laws governing references, and company liability for giving references.
You are well advised to take more control of your career momentum by finding out what every potential reference will say about you. If the odds hold, as they will, those references will range from stellar to negative; yet when you know what someone is going to say about you, you can pass on your best references with greater confidence. You will also have the opportunity to stop references from saying things that are not true or inaccurate.
Increasing Your Chances of a Good Reference.
Here are some general rules of thumb to maximize the tone and accuracy of your references.
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