By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
You know, you need to go into the references, right? I saw two articles on a website, idealinterviewco.com, written by Nancy Shield that really speak to a lot of good things to look for when accumulating references.
From the article she writes, 'The best references are carefully selected colleagues who can speak to certain strengths or aspects of your character. unencumbered by the responsibility to a shared employer. Your relationship with a manager, for instance, can prove a fruitful reference for demonstrating your dependability. A trusted former colleague may have something insightful to say about your character, and about how you navigate a team environment.' All great points, right?
'Whenever leaving an organization, or when your time there seems to be approaching its end, reach out to mentors, peers, or managers to ask if you can use them as future references,' she writes. 'Make this request while you both still have daily contact, while your accomplishments are fresh in their mind. Finishing a class? Don't leave on your last day without asking your professor if you might use their name for a future application. Collect references constantly.'
This I'm gonna now go to me here and I'm going to add in. Also, if they're leaving the organization, make sure you have a way of reaching out to them in order to ensure you don't lose that potential reference. Make sure you have an email address and phone number, put it into your phone, offer to be a reference for them in the future, as well. You're always collecting references whether you know it or not. The idea just becomes, formally, you're going to do something to make the ask.
So when it comes time to that, remember, you're asking for a favor. Make the process as convenient as possible. Ask them generally, what is the best time for an employer to reach out to them. And also what's the best medium. There's more in there. But I'll just simply say, as she points out, accumulating references is critical for your career because firms are going to check them and you need to be prepared and not scrambling last minute to put them together.
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2022
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a career and leadership coach who worked as a recruiter for more than 40 years. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 2400 episodes. He also hosts Job Search TV on YouTube, and Amazon, as well as on BingeNetworks.tv for Apple TV and 90+ smart sets.
I do a livestream on LinkedIn, YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) and on Facebook (on the Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter page) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me through LinkedIn's messaging .You can also message me through chat during the approximately 30 minute show.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching? People hire me to provide No BS career advice whether that is about a job search, hiring better, leadership, management or support with a workplace issue. Please click here to see my schedule to book a free discovery call or schedule time for coaching.
My courses are available on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses The courses include ones about Informational Interviews, Interviewing, final interview preparation, salary negotiation mistakes to avoid, the top 10 questions to prepare for on any job interview, and starting a new job.
We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator plus a backlink to www.TheBigGameHunter.us.