Question about Referrals

koukanamiya

koukanamiya

It is what it is
May 25, 2006
7,280
30
#1
I'm starting to think that if we ever have a Career/Job section on tPF, most of the threads are going to be started by me ... :sweatdrop:

Anyways, I have a question about referrals. A job placement agency called me and wanted to speak with me. However, she said that prior to meeting with her, I needed to give her SIX referrals from my boss and co-workers.

Here's the problem ... I could only find ONE. Why? Because everyone else that I knew had either left the company or been laid off (it appears that high turnover rate is a norm in the real estate market). In this case, what should I do? I'd imagine they need the referral contacts to still be working at the company, right?

What should I do in this case? TIA :flowers:
 
#2
No, it is perfectly OK for someone to write a referral that says During my years at PimpCo, koukanamia was the glue that held the company together, on several occasions single-handedly increasing our market share of local pimping activity by well over 600%. In the matter of gentlemens' sequined trousers and hats, the time-honored costume of the quality pimp, her expertise in unparallelled in the industry. When I assumed my duties at the newly formed HoCo, I immediately contacted her, in hopes of obtaining her services here, however she replied that it was your own fine organization upon which she had set her hopes, following the court-ordered dissolution of PimpCo which I am sure you saw reported extensively on Nancy Grace...
 
#5
:roflmfao:

I agree with shimma (pimp jokes aside) that it doesn't matter that your co-workers or bosses are no longer with that company. they were there while you were there to vouch for your work ethic & character, and that should be good enough :yes:
 
#6
So in this case, should I give the people their cell#? What if I don't have these ppl's contact number any more?

I know that most companies I've worked for told us to transfer all referral calls to HR. I mean, we weren't supposed to say anything at all ... so I'm not really sure how to do it.

It's a bit disturbing ... the ENTIRE dept that I worked with at the job before my last was GONE!:wtf::wtf:
 
#8
In the US, at least, there are laws that restrict what a current or former employer can say about you. If I am not mistaken, it is pretty much limited to confirming the dates of your employment, and maybe whatever your offiial title was.

However, once someone is working somewhere else, she or he is no longer your employer, and can write a referral or a letter of reference as a private individual, as can, for that matter, your next door neighbor or your hairstylist.

So if the people are liable to say good things about you, you are actually better off if they do work somewhere else now, because if they still worked at your previous employer they would not be allowed to say how wonderful you are!
 
#9
ShimmaPuff said:
No, it is perfectly OK for someone to write a referral that says During my years at PimpCo, koukanamia was the glue that held the company together, on several occasions single-handedly increasing our market share of local pimping activity by well over 600%. In the matter of gentlemens' sequined trousers and hats, the time-honored costume of the quality pimp, her expertise in unparallelled in the industry. When I assumed my duties at the newly formed HoCo, I immediately contacted her, in hopes of obtaining her services here, however she replied that it was your own fine organization upon which she had set her hopes, following the court-ordered dissolution of PimpCo which I am sure you saw reported extensively on Nancy Grace...
Click to expand...

LOL:roflmfao: :roflmfao: :roflmfao: That was too funny!
 
#11
I would call whoever I wanted to put down as a reference and ask them if it's ok to put them down. Their reaction will tell you if you really want them as a reference (you may think they love you, but what if they don't?), and also gives them a heads up that someone may be contacting them soon. And I agree with everyone else; you don't need them to be actively working at the company to be your reference - just give their cell phone or whatever number they agree to put down. Good luck!
 
#12
ShimmaPuff said:
In the US, at least, there are laws that restrict what a current or former employer can say about you. If I am not mistaken, it is pretty much limited to confirming the dates of your employment, and maybe whatever your offiial title was.

However, once someone is working somewhere else, she or he is no longer your employer, and can write a referral or a letter of reference as a private individual, as can, for that matter, your next door neighbor or your hairstylist.

So if the people are liable to say good things about you, you are actually better off if they do work somewhere else now, because if they still worked at your previous employer they would not be allowed to say how wonderful you are!
Click to expand...

^^ITA with Shimma :yes:

If you haven't already done so, contact your former co-workers, supervisors, etc. whom you wish to submit as references now and let 'em know you're on the job search. Ask if you can give their names as references to potential employers and verify how they prefer the company contacts them (work phone, mobile, email). They're not gonna think it's a big deal, especially since THEY had to do the same thing when they switched jobs.

When a company is at the reference-checking stage, common courtesy dictates that you call each person and let them know the company and job you're pursuing. It'll help them clearly understand the role and how, in their experience, you'll fit and contribute. This prep will enable them to better phrase their responses when the company contacts them for the reference check.

BTW, in all my years of reference checking (for huge multi-nationals and small local companies), the only time a reference check raised any red flags was when a candidate prohibited me from speaking with anyone at his former company. He had already left the company so why the big deal, unless he's got something to hide?? He used excuses that I caution you NOT to say. ("Everyone I worked with left, I don't know where anyone is." and etc.) When our company CEO used his connections into that candidate's former company, he did uncover some bad stuff. Needless to say he didn't get hired, but he was already down that path because he was so suscpicious about the whole reference check thing.

On the whole, reference checks are fluff and don't really tell you anything, anyway but for some reason, hiring managers want them done. Rarely is anything out of the ordinary uncovered, in my view simply because the candidate hand-selects their references and nearly never is it someone who's gonna bash the candidate. Even if there's constructive criticism, it's usually couched with a "but at the end of her time with us, SusieQ definitely showed improvement/mastery/etc."
 
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