Checking references for job applicants isn’t what it used to be. Many organizations, fearing litigation, warn their employees not to divulge anything more than dates of employment if they’ve been called as a reference for an employee or former employee.
Savvy interviewers may also call people they know in organizations on your resume, looking for information under the radar of your formal reference list.
I recommend annotating your reference list to make checking references easier for your interviewer, easier for your references, and more effective for your job search.
Include a brief note for each person who is a reference for you, including how they know you, to give context, and what kind of information they might be able to help with. Give this same framework to the reference when you contact him/her to ask them to speak on your behalf. It will help them focus more effectively when they are called.
Mildred Culp, Ph.D. recently interviewed me for an article she wrote in the Modesto Bee, and you can read her entire article here:
Using References Effectively in Your Job Search
Checking references for job applicants isn’t what it used to be. Many organizations, fearing litigation, warn their employees not to divulge anything more than dates of employment if they’ve been called as a reference for an employee or former employee.
Savvy interviewers may also call people they know in organizations on your resume, looking for information under the radar of your formal reference list.
I recommend annotating your reference list to make checking references easier for your interviewer, easier for your references, and more effective for your job search.
Include a brief note for each person who is a reference for you, including how they know you, to give context, and what kind of information they might be able to help with. Give this same framework to the reference when you contact him/her to ask them to speak on your behalf. It will help them focus more effectively when they are called.
Mildred Culp, Ph.D. recently interviewed me for an article she wrote in the Modesto Bee, and you can read her entire article here:
http://www.modbee.com/2011/10/16/v-print/1907417/workwise-what-no-one-told-you.html