He Wants a Reference!!!
I am a big fan of old time television comedies. One of my favorite shows to watch growing up, and even now occasionally, is the Honeymooners. Although filmed in 1956, a year after I was born, the show has endured in reruns for decades. For those unfamiliar with the show it is about 2 working class couples who live in small apartments in New York City. Jackie Gleason stars as bus driver, Ralph Kramden. His friend is sewer worker, Ed Norton. In one episode Ed is looking to buy an item down at a local appliance store. As Ed does not have a lot of money, he often buys items “on time,” meaning he takes out a payment plan. He is about to make another purchase, but needs a reference for his payment application.
In the episode Ralph gets angry at Ed over an item where Ralph feels Ed has slighted him. When he finds the application for the payment plan on his kitchen table, and that it is asking that he provide a reference for Ed, Ralph blurts out “He Wants a Reference! I’ll give him a reference.” He then proceeds to give Ed a very negative reference.
If you are in search for your next job opportunity, ultimately you will reach a part of the process where references will be requested by a company looking to hire you. For the hiring company, reference checks are a way of doing their due diligence. Your work history as you have presented it may be quite glowing. However, it helps the hiring company to have the input of those who have worked with you in the past.
In the episode with Ralph and Ed, Ed surprised Ralph by asking that he be a reference for him. (He actually dropped off the payment application asking for a reference at Ralph’s apartment and left it with Ralph’s wife). You want to never surprise someone that you may use them as a reference. In fact, you will want to make a request of them, long before you may need them. How willing are they to be a reference for you? What aspects of your work skills did they really appreciate? What items did they feel were ones that you did not do as well? You may actually want to ask some questions of your reference and gage their thoughts on your work abilities, before even asking them. Then ask them if they are willing to be a reference for you, if you are requested to supply references to a company.
Given that your reference has provided their acceptance on doing so, your obligations do not stop there. Keep your references abreast of job positions for which you may be interviewing. Let them know the types of skills for which a company is looking. This helps them to prepare when they are contacted by the company. And, even after you interview with the company, AND BEFORE THE COMPANY CONTACTS YOUR REFERENCE, provide your reference with an overview of the interview. Which of your skills and abilities appeared to be of most interest to the hiring company? What appeared to be the items they expected to be most important for the person coming into this job to be able to fill? For example, your reference may indicate what a great supervisor you are. However, if the role for which you are applying does not have any supervision as part of the role, the hiring company may have thoughts of whether you would be happy in a role without supervisory duties.
Build a history with your references. The most important online social media tool in job search today is Linked In. In fact, it has become imperative for just about all working professionals to have a profile on the site. It is where other professionals will go to learn about you. It helps give them an introduction to you BEFORE you may ever speak to them. It assists in helping to get conversation started. Yet, I see so many individuals with outstanding work histories that have little to no references of their work on their Linked In profile. Some of these professionals are even gracious enough to provide several references to others, but do not ask for any themselves. Linked In references by others who have used your services or worked with you, help to boost your professional credibility.
So, remember, the question of references will come up during your job search process, most certainly as you reach the interview stage of the process. The time to identify your references is NOT WHEN ASKED FOR THEM by individual employers, but as you start the process and begin to build your materials that support your search. You will be happy you did so, when you are asked to provide people who can speak to your abilities as a desired working professional.
