How to get the most out of your references

Dear WW: A job interviewer asked me for references. Is it best to approach people first, or is it as waste of time because they probably won’t be contacted anyway? GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

Dear GHOST,

A friend of mine was driving her car with her three-year old. She asked if he’d like to go to Herfie’s, a burger joint. Her son replied, “Mom, that’s silly, Herfie’s is a disease.” Yes, kids do say the darndest things.

Unfortunately it’s no different with your references-a past employer might give you a leg up on the competition or kick you in the shin. I’ve listed reference strategies, below. For more, check out “It’s Your Career, Take Control” by Catherine Beck (Davis Black, 2004).

Is there anything you can do if you didn’t get along with an old boss? Consider giving them the name of another person who would have a more balanced view of your contributions. If the potential employer asks why you didn’t connect them with your supervisor tell them your boss worked in another facility, they were often out of town or they didn’t observe your work on a regular basis. Don’t lie, but search for a legitimate reason to offer them someone other than your boss.

Do you ask the person for their permission? You want to do this for a simple reason, it shows respect. But it can also give you a chance to take their pulse about how they’d respond. Don’t just blow it off if the reference tries to talk you out of listing them, they may be sending a signal.

Do you prepare them? I’d start by giving them a brief description of the job you’re applying for. Ask them if they have any advice for you. What they come up with just might be better than something that you’d coach them to say. If they draw a blank, then you can try reminding them of a project that you worked on that would be relevant for this new assignment. Be careful to not monopolize their entire day, but a short conversation can position them to be a greater help to you.

Do you keep them informed? I’ve had hundreds of people ask me to be a reference. Yet, I can count on one hand the number of people who’ve gotten back in touch with me to tell me if they got the job. Once you ask people to take an interest in your career, don’t leave them high and dry in terms of the results. Keep ‘em in the loop, even if you don’t get the job.

Do you protect your most important contacts? I create an A list of my best contacts and a B list of my less important ones. It’s got to be a heck of a job for me to share my most precious contacts with them.

Use these strategies and employers won’t look at you like you have a disease after checking your references.

Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. Sherrie Campbell is a relationship and business professional, having applied her counseling background in a variety of challenging organizational settings. They’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, especially if you have better ideas than they do. Also check out their complete column archive at workmash.org, “The Boss’s Survival Guide” and “Gray Matters: The workplace survival guide.” Send your questions or comments to bob@workmash.org.