Given the ongoing upheaval in the nation’s job market, this timely advice comes from Heidi Allison, Managing Director of Allison & Taylor, the nation’s oldest professional reference checking firm (www.allisontaylor.com). “If you were planning to hire someone and his or her former boss did not return your call looking for a professional reference, what message would that convey? In today’s highly competitive job market, people pay so much attention to their resumes and interview skills but, unfortunately, many fail to nurture their professional references that can make or break a successful job search.”
Here is the first of 5 “Golden Rules of Job Reference Etiquette”
1. Call your former bosses and ask them if they are willing to provide favorable job references on your behalf. As an additional courtesy, offer them an update on your career.
Next time I will discuss the second rule.