Know Your References Well. It Isn’t What They Say, It’s How They Say It.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/yeqachg

We often do one-on-one job search coaching with candidates. This is a three month program where we cover all aspects of a person’s search, and work weekly to ensure that everything is being done to expedite their search. We cover issues that might arise before they arise, discuss areas of conflict, develop a marketing plan, perform interviews, review resumes and tough interview questions, compensation negotiations and check references. It is very comprehensive, and often hidden issues that would keep the candidate from getting an interview or job are discovered and addressed before they become an issue. Too often the candidate never finds out why they didn’t get an interview or offer, when a little up front work would have solved the problem before it became a problem.

As part of this coaching, the candidate develops a complete set of references. The candidate always assures us that the reference has told them “They would give me a good reference.” A CEO I was working with had a board member as one of their references. I called to talk with this reference and make sure that all was well. It didn’t take long to realize that the reference, although not bad, was only average to barely passing. This is not something the candidate would want a company to hear. We went back to candidate and asked to talk to the other board members (at least two). They both had great things to say, and in fact, one was going to recommend the candidate for another position. It turned out the first person had a grudge to bear against the CEO. These two board members then became the references. Had we not done this, the candidate would have never found out why he didn’t get a particular position.

I don’t believe we were deceiving the company in any way. They asked for one board member and instead we offered two. We did not prep the references in any way. All we did was try and get the real picture of the CEO’s abilities without bias or from a person with a grudge.

This is just one of many very easy things to deal with before they become a problem. Do you pre-qualify your references before you give them out? You should.

When talking to a reference it isn’t always what they say, but how they say it that counts.

You can learn a lot more about references and the complete job search process in our job search workbook, “This is NOT The Position I Accepted.” We will send you the book to review for only the $5 cost of shipping. It will reduce the time you spend in search. CLICK HERE to review the books contents.

Join our Linkedin Job Search Networking group. The news articles, connections, networking, and discussions are a great resource for anyone looking for a position. CLICK HERE to join.

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Why You Need a Job Search Champion

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Posted by: Meridith Levinson in Best Practices

Job search champions aggressively market job seekers to prospective employers, helping job seekers land new jobs more quickly.

Job search experts and hiring managers agree that networking is the most effective way to land a new job. But more important than an extensive network is a network that includes one or more job search champions. 

Job search champions are people in your network who know you well and whose names would appear on your list of professional references were it not for the fact that they don’t wait for prospective employers to call them to endorse you; they proactively and aggressively help you find work by drawing on their networks and marketing you to prospective employers, says Howard Seidel, a partner with Essex Partners, which provides career management and job transition services.

“The champions are real advocates for you,” says Seidel. “They grease the skids and say, ‘This guy is fantastic. You have to talk to this person. He did a great job here and would be terrific for you.’ They get prospective employers really excited.”

Having a job search champion can make all the difference in the length of your job search. Seidel, a career and executive coach, believes job seekers with champions land jobs faster because champions give job seekers entrée into potential job opportunities.

“Getting in the door is the biggest obstacle today for job seekers,” notes Seidel. “There are hundreds of résumés for a role and so many screeners. A champion can get you through the screeners to the people hiring. If you can get in that way, the hiring process tends to go faster and you come in with a lot of good will.”

Moreover, adds Seidel, by championing the job seeker, champions predispose hiring managers to liking the candidate. This is particularly helpful in a recession, when hiring managers are inundated with applicants for opens positions, asking gotcha questions during job interviews, and looking for any reason to screen out candidates.

“If you’re being introduced [to a prospective employer] by a champion, you’re going in there with a leg up because the hiring manager is [now] excited about what you can do for them,” says Seidel. “If you’re not going in there with a champion, you’ve got to do all the work yourself.”

In a market where job searches for CIO positions are lasting an average of a year, having a champion gives a job seeker a clear advantage over the competition. The more champions you have, the more effective and powerful your search is going to be.