When you don’t have referees
Article From: CareerOne.com.au
By: Karalyn Brown
Karalyn Brown is a career coach who heads Interview IQ. Her professional history includes roles as a human resources manager and a recruitment consultant. Ms Brown is also a frequent writer on career matters.
Here she provides her advice on what to do if you don't have recent referees or feel nervous about the ones you do have.
If you've been out of the workplace for a while or changed jobs a lot you may have trouble supplying recent referees.
You may even be concerned about the type of reference you receive. We've all had bosses we don't trust.
My biggest tip here is don't panic. While references are important, it's highly likely that your future employer will have come across a variation of your problem before. References are not the only thing an employer uses to make a judgement about you.
Action plan to locate your referees
If you have had a good relationship with a former referee but have just lost touch there are a few things you can do to try and find him or her:
First, use the web. For example, type the person's name in Google and see what pops up. Also, think back to when you knew the person. Were they active in a sports club or professional association?
Lots of people have profiles on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook and on professional networking sites such as Linked In. Once you find one person you can ask them if they know the location of others who may help.
When you contact people this way, be mindful of their privacy. Your referees may wonder why you are approaching them on these sites particularly if they have profiles for social purposes only. Be very polite. Explain that you are having trouble locating past referees and ask would they mind acting as one for you.
Alternative referees
If you come across an employer who is a stickler for a reference don't be afraid to put the question back to the employer as to what they would accept as a reference. It's vital you bring this up at the end of the interview when they're impressed with you and are keen to talk further.
Stating that you have no referees at the start of the recruitment process implies that you are defensive about something. And this is the last impression you want to create.
Explain your dilemma and the work you have done to find your referees, so they do not think you are covering something up. I've heard of employers accepting character references from a candidate's life such as teachers, lecturers, clients, customers, colleagues, suppliers and referees from voluntary work or sporting teams.
Another tactic might be to see what you can negotiate with the employer. You might be able to offer to do a longer probationary period to provide the employer with a comfort period in which you can prove yourself. You might want to consider offering to come on board on a contractor for an agreed period instead of as a permanent employee. I think this demonstrates to the employer you are willing to back yourself.
I've also recently heard of employers who've asked to see a copy of a recent performance review. Could you offer something similar?
You may not be asked for a reference
I was hired in a situation where my employer did not ask me for a reference. Again, if you impress during a job interview and the employer is really keen (or desperate) to take you on, the question of references might not come up.
One place I worked took me on quickly but then put into my letter of offer that my employment was subject to successful reference checks, which they never undertook. We both got busy - I did a good job and my employer forgot the whole reference issue.
The thing I've found in my years as a recruiter is that if an employer wants you badly enough, they'll find a way to take you on, references or no references.
In my experience, smaller companies with no set recruitment procedures or Human Resources Departments are less likely to carry out reference checks. Human Resources professionals tend to be the recruitment process "gatekeepers" and can be sticklers for procedures.
Another way to get around problematic references is to ask your network of family and friends for casual or temporary jobs so you can create fresh, recent referees.
Gaining work as a casual employee without a reference, even when the employer is not a friend, can be easier. With casual work you are less of a risk for an employer to take on because they can get rid of you more easily. When employers are in a hurry to fill some short-term need, they will barely scan your resume, let alone ask for a reference.
If you're worried about a poor reference ruining your chances of finding a decent job, doing short term stints of temporary or casual work provides the opportunity to build up your bank of good references.
Karalyn Brown is an interview coach and runs Interview IQ.
