Previously published in the Times Beacon Record Newspapers, Employment Section, November 8, 2007.
by Laura Smith Dunaief
How about this for a frustrating scenario? Your prospective employer is asking you for the names and contact information for your last three supervisors, so that they can check your references. The problem is that you don’t know how to reach these people anymore, because they’ve moved on, themselves.
This happened to my husband recently. He spent the better part of a Saturday calling former colleagues to find out where their supervisor had gone when the firm was sold. He was lucky; he not only found a number, but he spoke with the fellow briefly to make sure he was willing to provide a reference (and to remind him of what a great job he’d done while he was there).
If my personal experience is any indication, there is a distinct trend in the current job market: more prospective employers are asking for – and contacting - references. I receive an average of three calls a year asking for references on former employees. Some of these people haven’t worked for me in nearly twenty years.
It’s not surprising, considering how competitive the market has become for certain industries. Even those employers who have always asked for references, but have rarely followed through, are picking up the phone to hear what people have to say about you.
As a job candidate, what can you do to make this process work in your favor, turning those references into recommendations?
First, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to keep in touch with former bosses or supervisors that you know think highly of you. Folks move from company to company at lightning speed, these days, and just coming up with contact information can be a challenge. If you make a point to keep in touch, this becomes much less of a logistical problem.
In addition, it makes it a lot easier for the former employer to speak in specifics about your qualities when they have a clear recollection of who you are.
Don’t laugh. I once drew a complete blank when I received a blind reference request call for someone who hadn’t worked for me in fifteen years. After the “I’m sorry. Who is this about again?” it probably didn’t matter what I said about the person. Clearly, she hadn’t made a lasting impression on me.
Go the extra step, even if you speak weekly, to make a courtesy phone call and ask if you may give his or her name as a reference. It’s not only nice manners, but it helps grease the wheels. I’m much more likely to return a call I’m expecting.
This courtesy call is also a great opportunity to prep your former boss. Even under the best of circumstances, don’t assume that he knows what you want him to say.
Start by explaining what you know about the position you’re considering. Then, if there are specific things you’d like to be sure he mentions, don’t be shy about bringing them up.
For example, if you want to be sure your prospective new employer hears that you’re highly-motivated, ask your former boss to mention that big project you volunteered to take the lead on - and how successful you were.
What if someone is looking for a written recommendation? This is fairly common for applications to grad school. Like verbal recommendations, there are often specific questions they must answer. Still, there’s a lot of room for you to influence what your recommender writes.
In the cases of both verbal and written recommendations, even if the former boss doesn’t ask what you’d like her to focus on, you should not be shy about suggesting something. “Sue, I know they’ll probably ask you about my leadership skills. I think a great example of that would be….”
Frankly, I can’t think of anyone who would resent a suggestion that would make the job that much easier.
If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s an extension of the networking we should all be doing regularly. Maintaining a basic level of contact with former colleagues and bosses – even if it’s just an email twice a year to find out how they’re doing and share what you’re up to – will make a reference request much more comfortable for both of you, and may lead to a recommendation that gets the job.
Laura Smith Dunaief is a principal of LASD Resource Development, which provides individual career coaching and corporate training and development programs.
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