Have you ever been passed over for a position and wondered if one of your references did you in? Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to list, say, a former co-worker you suspect was the one who put those tacks in your chair that time, and who corrupted your files and got you fired in the first place.
The importance of references cannot be overrated. And not following some basic protocol in providing them on your resume and on job applications can make the difference between getting the position and losing out.
Here are some of the ABC’s of references:
“First of all, there’s a difference between personal references and professional references,” said Marilyn K. Miller, president of Personnel Evaluations Inc., a company that does pre-employment background investigations for employers. “We’re not interested in the personal references. What companies are interested in are professional references. Those are the people that can give an unbiased opinion.”
Personnel Evaluations is hired by clients “from Fortune 100 all the way down to … very small companies” to verify virtually every word of resumes and applications. “The biggest thing is don’t lie on a job application,” she said.
Other advice:
Once you’ve separated personal from professional references, put down someone appropriate to the job.
“Your references have to be relevant to the job that you’re looking at now,” Miller said. “If you are a salesman, don’t give someone from when you were sweeping floors.”
Make sure that you and your references are on the same page before turning in a resume for a job. The most basic, but often ignored, piece of advice: Ask before you list someone as a reference.
“No. 1, you would contact those references and say, `I’m interviewing for a job. Would it be all right with you if I put you as a reference?’ You might even mention the company that you’re interviewing with. Whoever calls [your references] will identify themselves.”
Be ready for some people to decline for various reasons and be thankful when they are straight with you. The last thing you want is a reluctant reference.
“Some people don’t want to be involved,” Miller said. “And some companies have policies where they don’t want anyone within the company, except for human resources, giving employment information.”
You might also try to get an idea of how the potential reference rates you in some basic areas, but asking directly may not net the results you wish, Miller says.
Getting the truth often depends on how well you know the person. “You know the people you’ve gotten along with and the ones you didn’t,” Miller said.
