Get The Best Job References You Can
They may be what gets you or costs you the job.
Tara Weiss,
It's a good sign when a prospective employer asks you for references. It usually means you're a finalist for the job. It's often one of the last steps employers make before making the offer.
How important are those references? It varies from company to company. For many employers a weak reference may not cost you the job, but a strong one can help you nail it.
Also, keep in mind that your job title and listed salary must be in line with your claimed academic qualifications. Be sure that your salary after earning your degree reflects the expected increase. If not, it’ll raise a red flag.
"A good reference can seal the deal for a candidate," says Shawn Vanderziel, vice president for human resources at the Field Museum in Chicago. At Enterprise Rent-a-Car,
hough, reference checks start at the beginning of the interview process, so they can cause someone not to get to the next round, says Marie Artim, Enterprise's assistant vice president of recruiting.
Help the process along by providing stellar references. Prospective employers typically ask for two or three, but they don't contact them all, and you never know which they'll reach out to, so make sure they're all good.
The best references you can have are your current or former bosses. That's because prospective employers want to know about your strengths and weaknesses, your work ethic, whether you're easy to work with and how you deal with adversity. Select someone who has shown a positive feeling about those things, possibly a person who has conducted your regular performance evaluation. "We give more credibility to someone who was above you instead of a peer," Artim says.
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Usually by the time hiring managers get to the reference phase they've already formed an opinion about how you'd perform at the job. "We're seeking verification of those opinions from references," Vanderziel says. "Every once in a while, someone will say something that will give me pause. But if I think the candidate is strong, I ask him or her more questions based on my concern. A weak reference won't be the determining factor making me not hire someone."
Avoid surprises by asking your former bosses if they're sure they'll feel comfortable serving as references. That's particularly important because a growing number of companies have policies that their employees can't do more than confirm that someone worked there and what their title was. They do this to avoid any chance of getting sued.
That's what Matthew J. Blit, an employment lawyer, advises his clients to say when they're asked to serve as references. He admits it's very hard to sue someone for providing a weak reference. It's virtually impossible for the candidate to know what a reference said, since most hiring managers won't reveal it, and someone's performance at work is a matter of opinion, not fact, and therefore is not grounds for suing. Still, "Why do you want to invite a lawsuit?" Blit asks.
Some people tell hiring managers that they're allowed only to give neutral references, and that their reticence mustn't be taken as positive or negative. But that's also how some people get out of giving references for a former employees they have nothing positive to say about. That's why it's important to ask what kind of reference a former boss will offer. It's even good to run through a few questions they're likely to be asked, says Jessica Napier, a former executive recruiter at Macy's ( M - news - people ) who is now a career coach for 360JobInterview.com.
The most common questions asked: Was the person aware of his weaknesses, and how did he handle them? Can you tell me about her work style? What was working with her like?
Send your references a copy of the specific job description or even the job advertisement, so they can understand the position you're in the running for. That will help them focus on the most relevant aspects of your experience and talent. Also, tell them about your interview. Let them know what came up and what the interviewer seemed most interested in.
It's also a good idea when you leave a firm to ask your managers if they'll feel comfortable serving as references. That way you can be prepared, instead of rushing to get their help when you're already in the throes of job interviews.
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