Killer References

All too often, job candidates are so focused on searching  job boards, networking, updating resumes, researching companies, and preparing for interviews that “references” are often overlooked. Some may argue that background checks are ritualistic or pro forma steps in the hiring process. Never underestimate the power of a reference. Given the hiring investment and company’s mission to have the right employees in place, employers, more than ever, are conducting extensive background checks at all levels. Good references can be the deciding factor in your getting the job. One bad or mediocre reference could cost you the job. 

A reference listing should include four informational topics: 

• Contact data: complete, up to date, and the preferred contact method.
• Reference background information: a brief paragraph to help the employer understand who they will be talking to.
• Relationship to the reference: a brief paragraph as to your professional relationship and relevance to the position you have applied for.
• Ongoing contact: a brief synopsis of the ongoing contact with the reference since last working together.  

Never incorporate your reference list as part of your resume, and only provide references when requested by a potential employer.  

Social media references and letters of recommendation are meaningless at this stage of the hiring process. Typically, both can be construed as stemming from mutual admiration circumstances with little to no credibility. Hiring Managers want to communicate directly with your references and discuss your qualifications.

Choose references carefully: Ideally you should have three to five professional references stemming from previous management or supervisors, colleagues, and customers whom you worked closely with in the past. They should be familiar with and able to speak specifically about and validate your accomplishments, work ethic, professionalism, skills, education, performance, etc. Personal references, (family, friends, association and community members), can be used for first time job seekers. 

Get permission to use someone as a reference: Some people might elect to decline your request for whatever reason. There should be no surprises for you or the potential employer.

Coach your references and keep them up to date: Insure your reference has a current resume; knows that a potential employer may be calling about a specific position; has been briefed on the company; and aware of interview talk points and highlights. Provide sufficient information to minimize adhoc misunderstandings.

Follow-up with your reference after he or she has spoken to the potential employer. In addition to thanking the reference, you might gain additional insight as to the hiring manager’s thoughts on your candidacy, or red flags that might need to be addressed or re-visited with the hiring manager.

Remember, Killer References can secure a job offer, or be the disastrous end to a hard fought campaign.

Plan, Prepare, and Practice

The Bureau of Labor Statistics report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) for October, 2009 shows new job openings decreased by 80,000 in October to 2.5 million. During the same period, the number of unemployed workers increased by 558,000 to 15.7 million. Hence, there were 13.2 million more unemployed workers than job openings in October, or 6.3 job seekers per available job as compared to 1.7 job seekers per job in December, 2007. These statistics exclude candidates simply looking to change jobs. A recent Management Recruiter International (MRI) survey claims that 49.5% of employed respondents were looking to change jobs within the next six months, and 80% within a year. From a job candidate perspective, the average number of interviews per job offer increases from approximately 6, in times of plentiful opportunities and high candidate demand, to 17 during recessionary periods.

Nearly all candidates understand that well executed marketing campaigns and great resumes generate job interviews. However, not all candidates are as judicious in planning and preparing for the interview process. The most common interview mistakes include:

Not asking for the Job: Close each interview with a summation of what you bring to the job. Ask for the opportunity to deliver results.

Winging the Interview. In addition to a brief “Tell me about yourself” introduction, you should have 6 to 8 succinct two-minute success stories that can be used to address soft skill, (behavioral, situational, and analytical), questions. These well crafted stories, based on several of your previous successes, support your candidacy and set you apart as the best person for the job.

All things to all people. Devote your talking point time to areas of expertise that will result in benefits to the employer. Don’t stretch your qualifications too far. Be honest and selective in the positions you apply for.

Inadequate Employer Research. Be well informed about the company and up to date on breaking news. Ask thoughtful questions about their immediate needs, future plans, products and services.

Lack of Enthusiasm. Hiring Managers are looking for candidates that are enthused and excited about working there. Avoid becoming overly fixed on your talking points. Personality, warmth, understanding and tasteful humor demonstrate your team fit.

Termination. It’s normal for people to be hurt or angry having lost their last position to downsizing or elimination. Don’t carry emotional baggage to the interview. Briefly discuss the situation, your understanding of the business decision and positive lessons learned;  then, move on to what you can do for this employer.

What you want. Listen to what the interviewer is saying. Steer conversations toward what you have to offer and how you will be a good team fit.

Job offers are won and lost during the interview process. It’s not uncommon for the candidate with the best interview skills to displace the most qualified person for a job. Plan, Prepare, and Practice your interview talk points. The competition is tough; don’t give hiring managers reasons to disqualify you.

“You would be perfect if you were the person described on your resume”

I can remember the day, not that long ago, when getting a new job began and ended with a great interview. References were sometimes buddies or friends. Candidates now face long, sometimes tedious, and complex hiring processes. Hiring managers are demanding, specifying intricate qualifications, and holding out for the perfect candidate. Having experienced the pain of replacing poor performers or bad hiring decisions, they want planned bottom line results from every new hire.

 Resumes are marketing tools with the purpose of getting an interview. In response, candidates have been advised to and target resumes specifically for each job opportunity. According to CareerBuilder, 57% of the hiring managers surveyed said they found a lie on the candidate’s application paperwork in 2006. About.com reports that 10% to 30% of job seekers either embellish or lie on their resume.  A December, 2008 Wall Street Journal article says:”More phony resumes could appear as more people become desperate for jobs.”

The most common resume deceptions include:             

Stretched dates of employment.

Playing with dates.

Inflated past accomplishment and technical skills.

Progress towards or earned degrees.

Unexplained gaps and periods of self unemployment.

Increased previous salary or total compensation.

Enhanced job titles and responsibility.

Faked certifications and credentials.

Claimed language fluency.

Fake addresses.

Omitted past employment.

Fabricated reasons for leaving a position.

Fraudulent references.

Misrepresented military records.

Grade point manipulation.

Technology, pre-screening companies, behavioral interview techniques, pre-employment testing, and internet tools like Google and social media have given recruiters, hiring managers, and HR, not to mention customers and co-workers, ready access to career and personal information. It’s tough to fudge details. It’s even tougher to remember how details were fudged during an interview or down the road. It’s not just senior management; candidates at all levels are being thoroughly scrutinized.

 Moral, ethical, and legal arguments aside, whether a seemingly harmless embellishment or blatant spun fiction, the risks of resume deception could result in: immediate candidate disqualification, offer withdrawal, or dismissal. If dismissed, an employer has the right to inform future reference checks that an employee was fired for deception. Penalties can be harsh and long lasting. Dave Edmondson, CEO of RadioShack resigned in 2006 when media reports surfaced that his degrees in theology and psychology from Pacific Coast Baptist University were non existent.

 When I occasionally hear the question… #!#…? The answer is “No”, “Absolutely Not”, “Don’t succumb to desperation or tricks”. Proven techniques exist to discover and present one’s career and accomplishments in the best light.

Professionally Written Resumes

I am repeatedly asked the same question by candidates “Is my resume OK?” My response is always the same: “You can ask a thousand professionals for resume feedback, and everyone would be wrong, even me”. Resumes do contain industry prescribed formats and algorithmic experience information, but more importantly, it’s a hiring manager’s first insight as to whether or not you are a good team fit. A resume is a working marketing document personalized explicitly for you. While it may be a good idea to have a professional review the document, only one person can generate that resume! Not all professional services have your best interest at heart.

Careerbuilder resume critique baffles blogger

Fri, May 22, 2009 (Article)

Amber Shah, an experienced software developer and popular career blogger on Geniusopia, recently discovered that CareerBuilder was offering free resume critiques to promote their resume writing service. Since Shah often performs critiques on her subscribers’ resumes, she thought she’d submit her own resume to see if the advice CareerBuilder doled out would be similar.

On her blog Shah says she knew that CareerBuilder would give her some kind of sales pitch, but she wasn’t expecting the canned response she received that assured her no one at CB had even glanced at her resume. Here’s what the ‘resume expert’ told her:

Dear Amber Shah,

A well written, attention grabbing resume is crucial to getting an interview. It is important to be concise, highlight your qualifications, and present yourself as a proactive employee. Recruiters will only briefly skim your resume to determine if you are worthy of an interview. Therefore, it must be easy for recruiters to find the information that sells them on you. In order to more effectively showcase your skills and abilities, we recommend making the improvements that we list below. If you need help making these improvements, the experts from cbResume are here.

* Include a quick synopsis of what you have to offer
* When an employer glances at your resume, what will they see? A brief summary of who you are and what you have to offer? If not, you might get passed over. We recommend that you grab the hiring managers attention with a brief overview of your most impressive and relevant strengths.

After you re-write your resume, don’t forget to check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation before using it to apply for a position. More often than not, people overlook their own spelling and grammatical errors. We recommend having several trusted friends and colleagues review your resume to verify that it is easy to understand and free of inconsistencies and minor mistakes. If you would like help re-writing your resume, just let us know.

Keep in mind that your resume is a marketing tool. You must display only the most pertinent and impressive pieces of your experience. cbResume, CareerBuilder.com’s professional resume writing team, can prepare your resume to make a positive first impression. We are experts in the field and know how to craft a resume that will get you interviews.

Sincerely,

cbResume

The improvements recommended were already in plain sight on her resume. Disappointed, Shah concludes this: if you offer to do something, do it right. Otherwise it’s just annoying. Some people will help you in your job search and others only want to take your money. Avoid the latter.

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