When Your Resume Just Isn't Enough – Other Important Tools Of The Job Search

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When it comes to looking for a job, a lot of emphasis is given to the big three – your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile are some of the most essential pieces of your search. But job seekers have many other tools at their disposal. Each job process has its own challenges but are united by one thing, when you’re in the room you’re a salesman and the product you’re selling is you. Elevating yourself over other candidates is the ultimate upsell.

Other than your dazzling personality and confidence, when you want to leverage more than the big three, you may consider adding the following arrows to your quiver:

• References Lists – References matter. If references aren’t requested during the application process, they are optional. It is to your advantage to have a list of references ready and waiting to go. Your references are professionals you’ve worked with or for and will attest you’re a find.  Having people advocate on your behalf means something and the fact you’ve volunteered to provide references does too. Be assured, recruiters and hiring authorities often call your references so be sure you’ve had a conversation with them in advance so you know what they’re going to say – don’t assume a former boss or co-worker will give you a gushing review. Make sure.

• Reference Letters – Not to be confused with a list of references as described above, this a hard copy letter you have on your person that you can hand over in a job interview. That means you have to ask a potential reference to sing your praises in writing. That’s a big ask but if you can get it, that says a great deal about your character and reduces the recruiter or hiring manager’s task list (which is appreciated, remembered, and factored in). In the US, reference letters aren’t prevalent among professionals, but in Europe, for example, there are places a written reference letter is common, even expected, so if you want to work overseas you may want to consider going this route.

• Portfolios – Portfolios are a must for creatives, such as graphic designers. It’s essential to show your best work in the best ways. You should consider creating a traditional portfolio you take into the interview room and a digital version. This is another opportunity to expose recruiters and hiring managers to your work and skill sets. It’s also to your advantage to exploit the best aspects of both formats – traditional and digital. Naturally each version should include a mix of your best and most recent work, but the formats are different so use their unique strengths to your advantage. If you want to take a deeper dive on portfolios check out this past article, “The Portfolio.”

• Presentations – During the course of your professional career, you may have worked on a special project, executive presentation, or some act of gravity that had a direct positive impact on achieving whatever goals had been set out. If you have metrics to support that narrative, any related documentation can be an asset. If, for example, you have professional proposal (e.g., business proposal for funding), a power point (e.g., marketing strategy), audio/video recordings, lectures, etc., that may advance your candidacy nobody will fault you for using them to demonstrate the value you will add to whatever role you pursue.

• Work Samples – If you’re in a field that makes stuff, like product design and development, you may have played an integral in producing goods that amount to three dimensional portfolios. Maybe you’re an architect with a model of one of your designs that was built, a product developer who created or worked on a best-selling product, or are in specialty industry like robotics (yes, robotics) or 3-D printing (most recently projected to be a $67 billion year industry by 2028) and have impressive toys to share with the class. Use it all.

• Day One Plan: This is the casino special. A high risk, high reward special assignment you undertake just for this employer to present at your interview.  You create, for example, a plan specific to the role you’re trying to get that details what you would do on Day One and beyond. Think 30-day, 60-day, 90-plans. Whatever you can legitimately represent as a realistic pathway given the limited information you may have. You can’t know the inner workings or strategic plans of a potential employer and to assume that position would be overplaying your hand. What you can offer is the methodology you will employ in the role, the tools you will you use to measure your progress, and the benchmarks (e.g., KPIs) you hope to achieve.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

The A-B-Cs Of Job References

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

One element of the hiring process that hasn’t gone completely digital these days is the professional reference. Two people are going to talk about you at your request and what they discuss matters. Just like you can win a job in the interview room, you can lose one during the reference check. 

When potential employers do a reference check, the expectation is the feedback will be positive (why else would you provide the reference?). If a hiring manager speaks to one of the references you provide and the conversation begins with, “I don’t know why [insert your name here] would give me as a reference,” then you’re in trouble. It shows you didn’t contact the reference, which is lazy, and that you lack good judgment because you’ve left yourself open to negative feedback. Loose lips sink ships and, in this scenario, you are the ship.

1.     Do Personal Job References Matter?

Yes. References are your opportunity to present your best professional self through the praise of professional peers. Every reference should be a home run. Your potential employer wants to hear about how great you are and the game is rigged in your favor. It should be an easy test to pass. Not passing matters.

2.     Do Potential Employers Really Check The References?

More often than not, yes, so expect references to be checked. Whether it’s perfunctory or a deep dive, your references will be checked. Many online job applications include sections for references and you’re not even able to submit the resume until you fill it in. That’s not an accident. Be just as diligent about your reference’s contact information as you would proofread your resume. Make sure everything is up to date.

3.     Should I Automatically Provide References To An Employer?

No. If you’re not required to provide references on a written application or online submission, you may, but are not required, to provide references. However, it does not hurt to include the perfectly acceptable “References available upon request.” That signals your willingness (a good sign) but you can defer to the employer’s requirements.

4.     How Do I Line Up References?

Your goal is to know your reference will provide positive feedback so, first and foremost, only choose people who you know will do that. The first line should be any current (if possible) or past partners/managers/supervisors. Nobody is going to complain that your former boss has agreed to be a reference. That telegraphs confidence in the outcome and should be followed by a glowing reference (see #1). If for whatever reason you don’t want to reach out to those people, your second line should be co-workers with whom you collaborated the most. Contact your top three and ask them if you may use them as a reference. Unless company policy prohibits providing references most people will agree. Confirm contact information.

5.     How Do I Know What A Reference Will Say About Me?

It is your job to know what your references will say about you. If you don’t, you may end up with the dreaded, “I don’t know why [insert your name here] would give me as a reference” or worse. Don’t just ask someone to be a reference. Don’t assume that an agreement to be a reference is the guarantee of a good reference. Have a dialogue with them about what a good reference means. Nobody is going to fault you if you call up an ex-manager and say straight up, “[Insert person’s name here] Will you be a reference for me and I need it to be a good reference.” Something like that should get the dialogue going.

6.     Are Reference Letters Useful?

In Europe, letters are more common than in the United States, where as on this side of the Atlantic you should expect a phone call or email to the referring party. The standard list of references is their names and contact info so the recruiter or hiring manager can reach out to them. If someone takes the time to write a reference letter for you that is beyond the call of duty and you can apply it at your discretion. It’s not going to hurt you in any way to use that, but it would be a little bit out of the ordinary. You may consider the language, “Reference Letter Available Upon Request,” and go from there.

Bonus Career Insider Tip: Reference check calls are typically very straightforward and usually just a few minutes.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

The Fine Art of Collecting Professional References

Unsplash | Dane Deaner

Almost nobody thinks about their job references until asked. Far too often an afterthought, references play an important role in the application process, are a critical part of any job search portfolio, and can be an influential factor when under consideration for a job offer.

For an employer, each hire is a risk. A lot of time and effort go into filling an open position but there is never a guarantee the right person has been recruited until the new hire is actually working at the company each day. If a recruiter and/or hiring manager can speak to someone who has had a professional relationship with a candidate, he or she can mitigate some of that risk.

When a recruiter or hiring manager likes a candidate, a good reference can bolster their case and, perhaps, carry the candidate over the finish line. References are more than a good speech on your behalf. A good reference has portability. During the course of a job search, a strong set of references can open doors on its own.

There are two types of references – personal and professional. Between the two, it’s no contest. Professional references carry a lot more weight, however some job applications request personal ones as well. Behind the scenes, it’s the professional references that count. That doesn’t mean there aren’t specific cases a personal reference helps. There are, but it’s the exception not the rule.

Here are some recommendations to help you master the fine art of collecting references:

#1 – Line up at least three professional references before you need them – multiple individuals from various points in your recent career can give an employer a robust perspective into you and your work habits. If you wish to include a personal reference in your arsenal, one will suffice (especially if it’s a heavy hitter in the company you’re applying to).

#2 – References do not necessarily need to be from individuals with whom you currently work or from someone who works for your current company. Even if you and your references are now at different companies, they can still provide input upon your time together. That said, professional references from your current (or last) position will give you a slightly sharper edge. 

#3 – This is important – when you ask a colleague for a professional reference, do not assume he or she will sing your praises. Wise attorneys know not put a witness on the stand unless they know what their testimony will be – same concept here. Know what your reference is going to say about you. When you make the request, have a discussion with them about what you anticipate they would say. When a recruiter or hiring manager calls your reference, you don’t want them to be told, “That person gave me as a reference? Are you kidding me?” (BTW – true story, I once was checking references and had the employee’s former manager unload their displeasure with them). To the greatest extent possible, vet what your references will say about you. Be selective in whom you list.

#4 – When considering who to ask to be a reference, go to your allies. If you have a co-worker with whom you pulled off an amazing project, he or she may be a better reference than your immediate supervisor or the owner of the business. You want references to speak to the quality of your work and how great it is to work with you.

#5 – Consider the form of the reference. Formal written references still exist, but are no considered longer the ideal – especially ones that seem to be only marginally better than a form letter. The best professional reference is vocal. When someone agrees to be a reference, he or she expects they may be called by a recruiter or hiring manager in the future, and a discussion lends itself to a robust conversation about the value you can add to an employer.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.