Job References that back fired

Job References That Backfired

By William Schmidt

Finding a job in the current economy is no easy feat, especially if your references are less than glowing. The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project and full-time basis, recently surveyed 250 U.S. advertising and marketing executives, asking them to describe the most unusual reference checks. Among the responses:

* "Someone used her mother as a reference; needless to say, she had not

worked anywhere with her mother."

* "We learned from the reference that the woman we were interviewing liked

to go barefoot all day."

* "The reference said the prospective employee had difficulty getting to

work on time."

* "We talked to someone who said the applicant didn't like the industry in

which she was trying to get a job."

"Job seekers need to do everything they can to line up outstanding references, especially in the current hiring environment," said Megan Slabinski, executive director of The Creative Group. "Even a subtle lack of

enthusiasm on the part of a reference can work against job candidates. The best references aren't necessarily the contacts with the most impressive job titles but those who can speak persuasively about an applicant's merits." The goal, of course, is for your references to sing your praises, not the other way around, as these responses indicate:

* "I checked the reference, and the fellow just started laughing. He could

not believe that he was a reference."

* "The person said the candidate was hyper and off the wall."

* "The reference said the candidate fell asleep during work hours."

* "According to the reference, the candidate was very insistent on making

his own schedule and rules."

Some references were quick to point out a candidate's unique qualities but may have chosen the wrong ones to emphasize. For example:

* "A reference told us the person had 17 pets that he'd need to

transport."

* "A professor recommended someone who was really smart, but mentioned

that the person was never seen wearing anything but flip-flops."

* "The reference went on about the candidate's favorite music, bars,

social endeavors, etc."

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"I left my job after 10 years on a bad note and knew my boss was going to give me a bad rap, in 2 weeks after joining I got a new job in the same field! Careerexcuse gave me a fresh start!"

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