The employment meeting went extremely well. The interviewer was
impressed with your abilities; you answered the questions
superbly; and you were able to develop an excellent rapport with
the interviewer and other staff at the company.
So, now just the reference checking process, BUT, unfortunately
you did not make it to the following stage. Why not? Everything
went so well. What possibly could have gone wrong?
How often do I hear similar comments from candidates who are at
an absolute loss as to why after such great interviews, their
applications have been denied.
Have you ever thought that perhaps your reference may be letting
you down?
The general procedure a candidate follows in locating and
providing references to support their application is either to:
~ provide a list of contactable references on their resumes at
the time they send their initial application, or:
~ provide contact names after being requested to do so at the
interview without any prior consideration.
Are these two methods basically what you are currently doing in
your career campaign? If so, you need to be aware that both of
these methods can be detrimental to your job search.
Unless the application has specifically requested reference
details to be included in your initial application do not
forward or include details on your resume. As you may be
forwarding your resume in response to hundreds of job
advertisements this could result in your references receiving
numerous calls, which could become quite annoying and
ultimately, damaging to your campaign. You want to retain
control over who you provide these details to, and presenting a
reference list after you have had an opportunity to interview
with the potential employer will be far more beneficial. During
the interview you may realize that this is not the position you
originally thought it was, or realize that your personal values
and beliefs would be challenged if you were to become employed
with the organization, and therefore there is no real need to
provide reference contact details. Your references will not be
unnecessarily contacted, affording their valuable time and
energy for a position that you are not interested in.
Let’s see how we can enhance the entire process of qualifying
and contacting appropriate references in order to maximize the
reference checking process.
Once you locate a position you would like to apply for, you need
to decide who would be the best person to offer as a reference.
A human resource staff member who has not worked with you may
only be able to confirm dates you worked with them, but not
provide details about your performance. A department head may
not be able to offer much more information either, however a
direct supervisor or colleague who you worked with can present
details on your performance, contributions and overall standing
in the workplace.
Sadly, we can lose contact with previous employers, supervisors
or colleagues, however if you are still in contact with them, or
would be able to contact them, then this would be to your
advantage. It is far more beneficial to use someone who is able
to confirm your abilities within a work context rather than,
say, a close friend, relative or neighbor, however for some job
seekers this is almost impossible. If either of the above
situations ring true for you, there are a number of strategies
you can consider: ~ Consider providing the name of your lecturer
or tutor if you have recently completed professional development
or courses. The course studied would presumably be relevant to
the position you are targeting, so your tutor could confirm your
academic achievements and knowledge in this area. ~ Voluntary
work for a local community organization may allow you to provide
the name of the President or other member of the board or
committee. ~ A professional or other high-standing member of the
community who has known you for many years and can verify your
honesty and integrity. These people may include a minister, a
doctor or lawyer. ~ Consider putting forward the name of a
colleague with whom you have worked if you are unable to locate
a previous manager. A colleague would certainly be able to
confirm your overall professionalism and experience within the
workplace. Perhaps you may be able to provide the name of your
direct supervisor, or even a supervisor from another department
who has had some dealings with you on a professional level. ~ A
major supplier with whom you have previously dealt could vouch
for your professionalism and integrity. ~ A subordinate or a
member of a team that you were responsible for could also be
considered and could vouch for your leadership and management
style. ~ Contact a number of your customers/clients to see if
they would be willing to act as a reference. Who better than a
previous or existing customer to vouch for your commitment and
high standard of work ethic? Once you have decided on the best
person to offer as a reference, you need to:
(A) Contact that person to ask permission to provide their
contact details and to advise them of your current campaign;
(B)Verify and confirm:
(i)current contact number; (ii)email address; and
(iii)appropriate/contact time preferred.
Another strategy would be to refresh your reference’s memory
about previous projects and contributions by supplying them with
a copy of:
~ Your current resume; ~ Relevant experience and results
achieved with the reference’s organization; ~ Overview of your
career goals and aspirations so that the reference can provide
information pertinent to that goal.
This will allow your reference to gain an understanding of your
skill set and what it is you are targeting.
When preparing your references contact list, don’t just state
the basic details such as the name and contact details, but
provide some background details as to how you know this
reference and the information they can confirm. Perhaps a
succinct list of outstanding contributions that this reference
can qualify would be beneficial too. Ensure that the document is
formatted professionally and in the similar style (i.e. fonts
etc) that your resume has been developed, as consistency in
formatting and professional presentation is also important.
If the position and company still sound exciting after the
initial interview and you would like to be considered in the
next round, try to confirm who will be contacting your
references and the approximate timing. This will allow you to
touch base (either by phone or email) with your references and
advise them of the forthcoming reference check.
At the completion of your career campaign, after receiving and
accepting a firm job offer, do not forget to send a thank you
card to each of your references to show your appreciation and to
advise them of your success.
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