Hello, My name is Martin Buckland, I am an executive career management practitioner, and I manage the careers of executives like you.
The question we ask ourselves today is: Do you have references?
Imagine that you get fired tomorrow, terminated for any reason or you’re in an active job search. The first thing you need to ask yourself is: do you have your references lined up?
References must be a high priority to you. They can be helpful or detrimental for your career when you are in a job search. Your main goal is that your references give a great and professional impression of you.
Let me give you an example: some time ago one of my clients was receiving multiple job offers, but he couldn’t land any of those jobs. He wasn’t signing the deal and, at some point, he started asking himself: “Why aren’t I getting any jobs”?
He started to make inquiries about his job references and he found that one of his references, who happened to be his best friend, was giving him a really bad reference and damaging his career.
Now is a great time to ask yourself: Do you check your own references? Have you done it recently?
I recommend you have them checked right away by an independent authority, a friend, a family member or somebody who can help you from an outsider’s perspective because positive references are essential for you and your career.
The next question is: Who should provide a reference? Can I get references from anyone?
Preferably, you should have references from your previous bosses. I understand that might be difficult to get in some cases but is important for you to ask for a reference from your boss or manager when you leave a job.
You also need a reference from a co-worker, somebody who’s in the same position as you; you need one reference from an employee, another one from a vendor or supplier, and then finally one from a client or customer.
You need five references in total. Five is the perfect number! When you are planning to get your references, remember that recruiters are not interested in family or close friends. You must discard those references because they may make you look unprofessional.
In job-search, you usually get one opportunity to be outstanding among other candidates. You only get one chance to make that first impression and bad or poor references can take that away from you. Take the time to ask for them and upgrade them!
If you found this information useful I invite you to explore my websites www.aneliteresume.com, and www.embacareercoach.net where you will find a wealth of information regarding career management and my unique services.
Leave a Reply