Does that little title ditty sound
familiar? Of course it does. In bygone days, everyone slapped that closing
belch at the end his or her résumé. Leaving it off amounted to a violation of imaginary
résumé etiquette.
Over
the years, the phrase has gone the way of manual typewriters and dial-up phones.
Only troglodytes cling to such relics. Nonetheless, job references continue to
be a critical factor in the hiring process.
The
focus of this involves something else. The story of Julius Caesar comes to
mind. Caesar, as you may recall was cogently paranoid. Strangers never got
close. Even those he knew were kept at a distance. Only the most trusted Praetorian
Guardsmen were allowed to approach.
Caesar’s
demise did not come from afar, but rather from his most trusted.
When
we hurriedly scramble to assemble references, we often choose those we trust
the most, or perhaps those who will do us the least harm. We certainly do not
anticipate them flashing a grin and sticking a shiv between our ribs.
Crazy
as this may sound, that is exactly what can happen should you assemble your
references hastily. Not everyone has your best interest at heart. Your odds are
actually better trusting a stranger than selecting a fair-weather friend.
Should
you be fortunate enough to have an established celebrity reputation, references
are not required. Your reputation speaks for itself. Everyone else needs to
line up a cast of characters who can verify either your integrity or skillsets.
Therein
lies the challenge. You need to have a serious sit-down with each selection. Should
you perceive the slightest hint the reference might pose a lukewarm
endorsement, that individual needs to be discretely eliminated from
consideration.
The
higher you rise within the socio-employment pecking order, the more critical
this becomes. As a top-level Caesar, you would be safer to select references
from the bottom of the rung than to select someone garrulously willing to damn
you behind your back.
Believe
what you will, but an endorsement from the janitor could carry more weight than
a colleague. How you engage the lowest employee says more about your character
than will a patronizing colleague.
Most
jobseekers give little thought to their references until the last hour. Then,
the task becomes a hurry-up-and-get-done
chore. Analyze your choices carefully. Take nothing for granted, lest you end
up only slightly better off than old Julius.
On
a closing note, stay in contact with
each reference, even if it’s only to take each one to lunch once a month. The
reference you befriend might be the one who can save your bacon.
Copyrighted
© 2014 by Robert James