It’s Fact, A Potential Employer Will Call Your Former Boss / Supervisor to Find out about You!

References matter. The most important reference is that of your former boss. In fact, they may give a winning push to landing that job or they may sabotage the position for you.

JobReferences outlines a five-step strategy to ensure the best possible outcome during the job-hunting progress.

  1. Make a list of your former bosses – Have you stayed in touch? Was there bad blood? Before you go on that interview offer an olive branch.
  2. Make a secondary list – A mentor, coach, former boss, or manager is a great place to start. Job hunters should have a few references available at a moment’s notice, take the time when you craft your resume to craft this document too.
  3. Contacting references in advance and inquiring about their willingness to be a reference is an important step.
  4. Verify that you have all the information for your references listed correctly; the correct spelling of their name, current title, and up-to-date contact information.
  5. Remember reference letters obtained really don’t matter unless the company goes out of business and none of your people are to be found. Everyone knows it’s very easy to make up letterhead and a reference.

Etiquette may be forgotten by some today and noting what is appropriate is a smart decision.

JobReferences notes that approximately half of all reference checks they conduct reveal negative input from the references. Don’t neglect your references; an appropriate holiday greeting is always a good idea to help cultivate and maintain professional relationships.

For further information, please visit myjobreferences.com

About Allison

Allison & Taylor Inc. and its principals have been in the business of checking references for individuals and corporate accounts since 1984. We have successfully built our brand and corporate recognition and have been recommended by industry specialists such as The New York Times award-winning author Martin Yate (“Knock ‘Em Dead Résumés”). Numerous articles have been published about our business in newspapers and magazines including The Christian Science Monitor, The Wall Street Journal, Glamour Magazine, New Woman, Worth, National Business Employment Weekly, The Detroit News, and The St. Petersburg Times.