Art of Irreverence

Job Interview Workshop: References Are Not an Afterthought

If you’re asked about your references in the job interview, do you have a few names ready?

Do you know what those people would say about you if they were called?

You need to know how to choose the best references, how to make sure they say fantastic, glowing things about you, and why it’s so important to the success of your job search.  Many candidates hem and haw when asked about references even if they have spectacular ones.  And when they’re asked what the reference will say about them, they stumble even more—because they don’t know, they’re wishy-washy.  That’s unacceptable.  If you’re an outstanding employee, you should have an outstanding reference.  And if you don’t know what your references will say, and if you aren’t sure that they will tell the interviewer what they need to know to hire you, you need to prep your reference.

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When you are asked for your references, the interviewer wants the name and title of the person as well as what they did in relation to you.   Past managers are the best references of all.  But any reference needs to have strong credibility that speaks to your work life.  That means you can have no references who haven’t worked with you.  If you have someone in a supervisory position you didn’t actually work for, but who you worked with in a relevant capacity, that could be acceptable, too.

No matter who your reference is, they need to give you a strong, glowing, and above all, specific reference.  You don’t want someone who will just give the dates of your employment and say something vague about how you were a good worker.  To get a great reference, call those past managers and remind them of the work that you did overall, or on a particularly relevant project or two, and remind them of your outstanding attitude and ability and ask if they will represent that to a particular company who’s considering hiring you.  Get them to be solid in what they’ll say about you, and that will give you more confidence when the recruiter or interviewer asks you about your references.

The references question can knock you out of the hiring process if you don’t answer it well.  Remember, the job search is like a sales process.  That means that your resume acts as a marketing brochure, and your references become a testimonial for how you, the product, are fantastic and how they can’t afford not to hire you.  They are a critical piece of your job search strategy.

Source: ArticlesBase.com

Sensational Marketing Materials: The Importance of Providing Fresh, Up to Date Letters of Reference

Sensational Marketing Materials: The Importance of Providing Fresh, Up to Date Letters of Reference.

No matter whether you sell to an end use customer or business to business, great supporting material is a must when communicating with a potential client. All companies have some form of literature or marketing materials they use during a presentation. The focus may be to introduce a potential customer to a product or service, or it could pertain to a specific project the company is submitting a quote or proposal for. Company handouts can range from a single sheet of paper to a very elaborate binder that may include an overview of the company, bios of key staff members, product information, photographs, terms of sale, details regarding a proposed project, the scope of work to be performed, pricing, and of course the all important . I believe that sensational references are the most important weapon you can have in your arsenal. Think for a moment, are you using letters of reference to set you or your company apart from the competition?

Recently, I was working with a contractor on a proposal they were going present to a customer. As I browsed the material, I stopped in the  section. To my surprise, I couldn’t find a letter that was dated within the last three years. I also found two letters that were dated, “1999″. The excuse, “they didn’t follow up with customers at the completion of a project to ask for a letter of reference.” The letters they did happen to possess had been voluntarily given to them. 

References can be the deciding factor in selecting you or your company over the competition. Some letters can be very powerful due to the total dollar value of the completed job or sale, the difficulty of a project, how famous a building or location may be, or even the name of the company or client the work was performed for. 

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If you or your company recognizes the value of collecting and maintaining reference letters and are currently practicing that habit, you are ahead of the game. But, you also may have an outdated letter you feel provides a great deal of credibility and is extremely important to your reference portfolio. If that’s the case, get the letter updated. Many times in my professional career I successfully accomplished refreshing a collection of reference letters. I would start with the person who wrote the original letter. Don’t be alarmed if that person is no longer with the company. If they are gone find out who is approved to write letters of reference and how to contact them. Scan and email, or fax a copy of the original letter to their attention. When you speak to them, explain how important their letter has been to you or your companies success. Let them know you don’t expect them to change the letter, just provide a current date on fresh company letterhead. If they still value the service you provided, it should be no problem. They may want to refer to the original date of the letter or project in the  section, which is fine. 

Something very important that shouldn’t be over looked. Don’t be afraid to ask for a letter from customers who you had problems with, but then resolved. My best references have come from customers who saw how well we responded after things went awry. Potential customers know things won’t always be perfect. What they want to hear from a reference is how well you or your company reacted to the problem. They want to know things will be completed to their satisfaction. You become extremely credibile when you tell your potential customer,  ”I’m human and I have made mistakes,” but you will stand tall and fix the problems as they arise. 

One hidden treasure people often overlook when it comes to letters of reference lies with your bank and the vendors that supply you or your business. When potential customers see you are in good standing financially, have solid fiscal habits, and have the support of companies that provide you or your company the material you need to operate, it alleviates many of their worries and concerns. “How financially sound is a company during these difficult economic times?” is the number one question on a CFO’s mind. 

Finally, I can think of at least two other places that references are frequently posted; On a company website and on the walls of an office or lobby. You or your company need to refresh and rotate those letters. People who visit regularly notice and they’ll be eager to raise their level of performance to keep up with all of the glowing reviews they see. You never know, they may be your next customer.  So why not give them some ideas on how to write a sensational letter of reference.

Source: ArticlesBase.com