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When You Can't Ask the Boss for a Reference
By DANA MATTIOLI, CollegeJournal.com
If you have been
fired or quit a job on shaky terms, the prospect of securing positive
references can seem daunting. Employed job hunters face a similar
predicament when they need someone to vouch for them but want to keep
their search hidden from their immediate boss. Whatever the
circumstances of their job hunt, professionals with a track record of
success needn't be at a loss for supporters. Below are some tips for
winning rave reviews when the usual sources aren't available.
Ideally, you
should choose a strategy and put it into action at the time of your
dismissal, before you even exit the building. If you haven't, review
your options and then line up your references before you begin your job
search. Just remember to contact your potential supporters before
offering them as references, so they aren't caught off-guard when an
employer calls.
1. Settle on
a story.
Don't assume that
because you were fired, you can't get a good reference from your boss.
It isn't unusual for managers to put in a good word for employees whom
they have dismissed, says Richard Bayer, chief operations officer in New
York for the Five O'Clock Club, a national outplacement organization.
Mr. Bayer says
his clients have been able to settle the details of their termination to
their satisfaction and secure a positive reference from bosses who have
fired them. Doing so allows both the employee and the employer to move
on, he says. He suggests having a friend call under the guise of an
employer to ensure that your former boss sticks to the agreed upon
story.
When asking an
ex-boss for a reference, pitch your assets. "Remind the employer of what
you have accomplished, because they may just be thinking of the recent
event that you were fired over and lose focus of the good qualities,"
says Linda Matias, president of CareerStrides, a career and
outplacement- consulting firm in Melville, N.Y.
2. Ask a
previous boss to be a reference.
When Leslie
Macabeo, 33, of Westminster, Calif., resigned from her job as dean of
academics at a Huntington Beach, Calif., college in April after severe
criticism from her supervisors, she didn't feel comfortable asking them
to be references.
As an
alternative, she used the former president of the college as a
reference, says Ms. Macabeo, who had been with the college for two
years. She secured a new job within a week of the dismissal and is now
director of development at the Creative Collection, an after-school arts
program in Aliso Viejo, Calif.
If you haven't
kept in touch with former managers, reopen the lines of communication.
Update them on your situation and then ask for a reference.
3. Find an
ally.
Chances are good
some co-workers won't side with your boss and instead sympathize with
your situation. It is important to ask these allies to be a reference
immediately after you leave the company, while they are still friendly
with you.
In 1999, Tom
Pulley, now 56, was let go from a managerial position at an aerospace
and defense company in Dallas after 25 years with the employer. Because
of a strained relationship with his supervisor, Mr. Pulley decided not
to ask him for a reference.
"It would not
have been an acceptable reference," says Mr. Pulley. Instead, he sought
out another supervisor at the company who understood his circumstances.
Mr. Pulley, who now has a consulting firm in Dallas, says he still lists
that supervisor as a reference in proposals to clients.
4. Seek out a
client or vendor.
Be creative with
your references by reaching further into your network to associates you
brought to the company or vendors.
"People always
think they have to use their bosses as references instead of considering
a client they found who brought in $5 million each year," Ms. Matias
says. These supporters may be able to provide a different perspective
than employers.
5. Use the
human-resources department.
If you must
verify employment but are worried that your boss may say something
negative about you, list a human-resources manager at your former
employer.
In most cases,
company policies limit human-resources professionals to releasing only
your title, length of employment and salary. "Many companies have strict
rules and won't divulge why an employee no longer works there," Ms.
Matias says.
-- Ms. Mattioli is
an editorial assistant at CollegeJournal.com. |
