There’s a tendency for those job applicants to take the references for granted. Even the most professional ones that idea with have a tendency to think that references on any big deal and, unfortunately, often wait to the last minute try to find them when a client wants to check them. This is a tale of two candidates and their references.
The first candidate, Tony (great name!) Reached out to the people that he was going to use as a reference right when he started his job search a month or two ago. He lined up to managers that he had worked for, two customers that were his and two peers just in case he needed them. He touched bases with these references every once in a while during his job search to let them know how his search was coming along. Sometimes he called. Sometimes he just emailed. But, they obviously felt a “part” of his job search because he just kept them informed of kind of where he was at.
When the time came and our client asked for his references, Tony shot them to the hiring authority within 20 minutes of being asked. He called or emailed three of them, the two managers and the customer (which is what our client asked him for) to let them know about the company he was interviewing with, about the job itself and questions he thought the hiring authority would be asking.They were prepared and were gracious about doing it.
Our other candidate, Paul, competing with Tony, had done an equally good job of interviewing and was asked for his references. The hiring authority told both Tony and Paul that it was a neck and neck race and he was going to check each set of references to see if there might be a difference. Unfortunately, Paul had to “get his references together.” He had not prepared any references before he started his job search, because he didn’t think it would be any big deal to get them together when a prospective employer asked for them. Once Paul was asked for his references, he called a few people that he thought would or could help. It took him a day to find one of his old managers and, unfortunately, he couldn’t find another. He did find A customer, which took him a whole day to do and since he couldn’t find another one of his previous bosses he conscripted one of his peers to be a reference. Two days after he was asked, the guy got his references lined up.
Well, you can imagine what it was like for our client who is checking the references. Tony’s were impeccable and Paul’s were mediocre at best. Tony prepared his while Paul was panicked to even find them. Paul felt lucky to locate them even a day or so late and never gave them much information about who is going to call and what they might ask for what the position was then what about hiring authority might want to know.Paul was a good candidate but his references weren’t that good for him.
Lesson:Find really good references. Keep them posted about your job search and prepare them for anyone who may call the.
