Michael’s Career Corner

This is a controversial topic for me.  As a human resource professional the importance of references seems obvious. Employers want to make sure they are hiring the right person for the job.  The process can be expensive and labor-intensive. On the other hand, as a job seeker you want to provide references that will enhance or solidify your value to a prospective employer.   However, with the advent of social media employers are getting smarter at finding references you didn’t provide.

So, what should I do?  Should I prepare a list of references? When should I provide references to a potential employer? Who should I include as references?

While the answer to any of these questions is subject to debate, I think job seekers should prepare a list of professional references as part of your overall package.  Here’s why….

References are not only the list of family, friends and professional colleagues you create.  Also consider your past employers as references.  If you give permission to your prospective employer to contact your past organizations, they become part of your reference package. 

Can this hurt your chances with a company? 

Not only is reference checking a costly labor-intensive process, employers worry about the risk of liability in rejecting a candidate based on poor references.  Some States have Good Samaritan laws to protect employers who provide factual/data supported references regarding crimes or violence in the workplace.  That aside, employers are often not confident in the accuracy or validity of their employee records. To avoid potential liability organizations often only provide dates of employment, and verification that you were in fact employed with that company.  This makes the reference checking process of little value to the hiring process.

Employers are more likely to check the behavioral reference sources like LinkedIn, Facebook, credit history [or] criminal history, than the more subjective references provided by you or your past employer.  Job seekers should be much more careful and deliberate about crafting a virtual professional identity that serves the role of a reference.

Choose the right people!

That all being said, a list of professional references still is a vital part of your overall professional presentation.  When crafting your reference list take the time to thoughtfully choose the right people to vouch for you.  You want people who can speak to your role as a professional, not as a nice neighbor or friend.  The people you include on your reference list should be current, 1-3 years old.  Job seekers should communicate with their references to confirm their willingness to be your reference and alert them that a prospective employer may call.  As you prepare for an interview, you should prepare your references to discuss your specific skills as they relate to the job you are seeking, and be able to express the positive impact you brought to the organization. In a highly competitive job market this can be just the differentiation needed to get you to the short list.

As with resumes, you should create two or three reference lists that reflect your different skills and experiences.  Rarely does one reference set fit all opportunities. 

Wait to provide references until requested.  Your references time is valuable.  You don’t want to burn them out on every opportunity.  Do not send written references.  They are often vague and not directed toward the company or position to which you are applying.  It is better to spend your time with your references preparing them to respond to questions, and sharing relevant information that will land you the job.

So what should I do? 

1. Provide references only when requested by an employer.
2. Carefully consider whom to provide as references for that particular prospective employer.
3. Seek references from people who actually know you and your work.
4. Ask for permission to list them as a reference.
5. Insure they can provide you with a positive reference.
6. Prepare your references; Coach them on who may be calling, and what knowledge, skills or abilities to focus on when talking about you.
7. Provide accurate contact information about your references, and ask your references how they prefer to be contacted (e-mail, phone, etc.).
8. Let your references know what happens to you and the position(s) you applied.
9. Thank your references.

10.  Build your virtual professional presence.  Create or participate in professional blogs; create a Linkedin (or similar application) profile that positively and accurately portrays your knowledge, skills and abilities.

11.  Search yourself! Do an internet search on your name and see what is listed.

In a buyers job market understanding what employers want and being proactive can increase the productivity of your job search for better opportunities. Keep in mind:
1. Employers want you to be unique
Don’t rely on your skills and experiences to speak for you.   Your resume is your entry ticket, it makes a potential employer curious about your value to their company.  Take the time to CLEARLY DIFFERENTIATE   yourself from other competent applicants. Communicate your value; what makes you unique and a great asset to the organization through your executive summary.

2. Effective executive summary
Competing for top jobs with a mediocre resume is a sure way to be put at the bottom of  the stack. The executive summary is akin to your “elevator” speech.  You have two minutes to capture your audience.  Resist the temptation to load up your summary with key buzzwords; use the right words for your career goal.  When a resume is carefully crafted as a value proposition, it lets you stand out from the masses and creates a much stronger  appeal.  Include these elements in your executive summary:

1. Your practical understanding of industry challenges.
2. What exactly do you offer and where do you fit in the organization.
3. Why you are a better candidate than other qualified applicants.
4. How your specific leadership style can benefit the organization.
5. Brief description of your potential.
3. Employers want you to ask targeted questions
When you get the opportunity to interview, your next challenge begins: turn that resume into reality for the employer.  You need to understand what employers are looking for, and effectively bridge the gap between your knowledge, skills and abilities,  and their business needs.
Do your research! Develop targeted questions about their business and job specific expectations.  Interviews should be EMPLOYER-CENTRIC. Focus on telling the employer how you understand their needs and wants, which will demonstrate and showcase your knowledge, skills and abilities.
4. Be Focused
Your resume will be more effective and your job search smoother if you determine a career direction up front. Take stock of your career wants and needs.  Use that information about yourself to research careers you might enjoy. Review available positions on various job boards to see which jobs look the most interesting. Work with a career coach to help you identify career choices that would be fulfilling.

Be unique; communicate those unique qualities by developing a targeted summary on your resume; Do your homework and be focused!

All I want for Christmas is a job
Seeking work over holidays offers unique opportunities
By Michael B. Laskoff
BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE
Dec. 1 — Being unemployed is hard anytime but never more so than during the holiday season. While the rest of the world is feeling flush with good cheer from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, the unemployed tend toward depression. It is, after all, hard to feel joyful and generous when you’re without income and a predictable professional future.
ADD TO THAT all the social gatherings,which require you to publicly admit your continuing unemployment to friends, loved ones, and complete strangers, and it’s easy to succumb to something approaching despair. And yet, it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little forethought, you can enjoy the festive season and take advantage of the unique job-searching advantages that it offers. Some things to remember:
Holiday greeting cards: The calling card of the unemployed. True, it’s generally harder to get people on the phone at this time of year, but that doesn’t mean your networking efforts must suffer. Holiday cards are an excellent way to communicate directly with people in even the most rarified corporate ranks. Believe it or not, busy executives often open such mail themselves and are far more likely to read the contents. As a result, you have a terrific opportunity to bring your existing network as well as more elusive targets up-to-speed regarding your search.
Don’t overdo it, though. Remember, you’re sending a holiday card, which should offer seasonally appropriate salutations and wishes. Skipping this step could make your efforts seem crass and potentially offensive. Also, be sure to write your messages by hand. I know this is vastly less productive than typing, but it’s the extra effort that makes an impression. Remember to accentuate your positive accomplishments. This is, after all, a holiday card, which makes it an inappropriate vehicle of anything other than good cheer.
And finally, don’t wing it. You’ll want to work out the message in advance and be consistent in your presentation. This isn’t to say messages shouldn’t be personal, but if each card takes 10 to 15 minutes and you want to send out 20 or 30 cards, then a little math will demonstrate the time advantages of repetition.
Look for hidden networking opportunities. An obscure fact of the season is that not all the people with hiring authority use the holidays to head for good skiing or warm weather. Many continue to work every day, even while their subordinates and co-workers take time off. As a result, the latter half of December can be the best time to schedule a meeting with someone who’s generally so busy that getting on his or her calendar would be all but impossible. Of course, securing this appointment will require you to be particularly diligent in early December, particularly since you have no way of knowing who stays home and who travels during the holidays.
Understand, however, that for every person who’ll grant you an audience, two or three will be out of the office. So while you can secure networking meetings, you might feel your overall success ratio is falling. Don’t be disheartened. Try to remember that it’s nothing more than a seasonal anomaly.
Give yourself a break… …because everyone else is. If you’ve been moving heaven and earth to get a new job, the thought of taking it easy will seem anathema. After all, every moment that you’re not actively and effectively job searching is a moment lost, right? Or is it?
Job-search efforts are useful only if they serve a productive purpose. That’s harder in December, with vacations, curtailed office hours, and the fact that most everyone’s budgets are tapped out until January. It’s easy to understand why you’ll almost certainly have less opportunity to look for work until January, when the normal rhythms resume.
Rather than decry your diminished capacity, I strongly suggest that you join the celebration. Most people, even the unemployed, have something to feel fortunate about. Taking time to recognize this will actually endear you to friends, family, and others who you rely upon to sustain you in this time of transition. Moreover, a bit of genuine relaxation and celebration will help you to stay mentally fit in the months to come — making you a more attractive candidate and potentially shortening your search.
So while I won’t claim that being in the midst of the holiday season will suddenly make your job search better, it does present you with some unique opportunities that are worth seizing. Go ahead — and you’ll be prepared to make the most of whatever January has to offer.