Frequently, hiring organizations request applicants to provide
references from previous employers. When
I am counseling job seekers, I encourage them to develop a list of references
to be provided when applying for jobs.
A word of caution is in order, however. An article the November 14, 2013, issue of The Dallas Morning News, “Reference
Letter Not Worth the Paper It’s on” on page 1J describes a situation when a boss
gave an ex-employee a reference letter to be shown to potential employers. After showing the letter to a prospective
employer, the hiring manager called the company for a verbal confirmation of
the reference letter. The writer of the reference letter would not give the OK
on the phone. Such a situation is at best embarrassing and probably
disqualifying for the job.
I suggest that job seekers negotiate what a previous employer will
say about them. One should never give contact
information for a reference to a potential employer without first getting
approval from the contact. Even if the
employee had been discharged, the employer may agree to provide a positive job
reference.
If there has been a major disagreement between a job seeker and
his/her previous employer resulting in a dismissal, I suggest that the job
seeker use the name of a co-worker who understands the situation as a
reference. Of course, the co-worker must
agree to provide a positive reference.
Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com with your experience with obtaining
positive job references.
Thanks, Glyn
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