Feature Article: How to Obtain and Use References and Recommendation Letters
Special Feature: References: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You!
Bonus Feature: Tips for Writing Stellar Letters of Recommendation
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
What's New on Quintessential Careers
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
In addition to offering several articles in this issue about
how to obtain and use great references, we've also included an article
from Regular Contributor Maureen Crawford Hentz on how to WRITE great letters of
recommendation.
The article on writing letters of recommendation, while of greatest
interest to employers, can also be instructive to job-seekers because it provides
a framework for what to request and expect in a a good recommendation letter.
While we assume that employers comprise only a small portion of our readership, the letter to the
editor that follows shows that it's never a good idea to make too many assumptions about who our
readers really are!
--Katharine Hansen, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Electronic Career Coach,
and editor at
kathy@quintcareers.com
Editor's In-Box: QuintZine Letter to the Editor
I was irritated after reading your comments that prefaced the Sept. 29 issue of QuintZine:
College-Bound: Inside Info from College Admissions Directors.
I am well over 40 years old and I am finally finishing my degree after many years of raising
a family. I am not of "college age" and neither is my husband who is also in school full-time.
We are both getting our first bachelor's degrees. I know many people in college today who are not
"college age.: They, like me, often have college-age children who are also in school.
Maybe the demographics of your readership would show more people going back to school than you
believe. More people are attending college because interest rates are low and its harder
to find a job. Also more "non-traditional" students are attending college as the baby-boomers
get older and want a second career that suits their new interests and abilities.
like to think that we are all life-long learners who want more from life then another
"get-by" job. People my age who use computers to find jobs, learn on-line, and read the news
usually want to keep on learning and often go back to college (sometimes only part-time).
Your college issue is helpful to me and my peers. Please don't discount or forget about us.
Diane
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: Your points are well taken, Diane. We won't forget about nontraditional-age
college students next time.
Feature Article: References and Recommendations
How to Obtain and Use References and Recommendation Letters
by Maureen Crawford Hentz
As a job-seeker, one of your most important assets is your stock of professional references.
Both letters and phone recommendations can elevate a good candidate to a top choice and drop a good
candidate down to the no-longer-considered pile. It's important that you manage your recommendations
carefully to leverage them in the best possible way.
The most important thing is to ask people who have good things to say about you to be your references.
This advice seems to be obvious, yet I can't count the number of times that I have checked references
and gotten mixed reviews.
When you ask for references, I recommend doing so via an indirect method, such as
email. Indirect approaches allow a recommender to decline much more easily than a direct approach.
Again, you want a good reference, so if you are not sure if you will get one, give the recommender
an out by phrasing your inquiry this way: "Bridget, I plan to begin a quiet job search in the next two
weeks. Do you feel you know me well enough to provide a reference about my leadership/basketball/conflict
management/accounting skills?" If the recommender declines, don't be angry -- be thankful. Unless the
reference is glowing, you don't want it -- even a lukewarm or I-don't-really-know-her-very-well
reference can be damaging.
To maximize your job opportunities, you'll need to cover a lot of ground. One way to do that is to post your resume
on all the best job boards, large and small. It may take some time, but it's well worth the effort. If you want
to save 60 hours of research and data entry, consider using professional resume-posting service like
ResumeRabbit.com.
After filling in one simple online form, they'll instantly post your resume on up to 85 of the top career sites at once.
Within minutes you'll be seen on Monster, HotJobs, FlipDog, Dice, CareerBuilder and more, where 1.5 million employers
and recruiters search for candidates daily.
Job search not going well? Interviews, but no offers? If you are a job-seeker, you know all too well that
finding the right job can be a tedious and frustrating experience. Advice abounds on every aspect of the job
search from perfecting resumes to picking out the right outfit for the interview. You can also learn
step-by-step how to discuss your previous employment history so that your skills and accomplishments are
highlighted and your strengths identified. The average job-hunter has access to so much information on
successful job-hunting that he or she should be able to secure any desired job.
So why does all this effort succeed for some and not others?
If you left your last interview thinking the job you spent so much time searching and meticulously preparing
for was yours, only to be disappointed by a rejection letter or worse, no response at all, the reason could
surprise you.
Remember that final piece of paper you handed your interviewer as you left? It was the one that listed
your references. Did you check them? You can be sure that your prospective employer did, and if you don't
know what your old bosses are saying about you, you could be handing your interviewers the one piece of
information that will cost you your dream job.
Read more about how to keep your references from costing you an opportunity in
our full article.
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Tips for Writing Stellar Letters of Recommendation
by Maureen Crawford Hentz
The most important rule in writing letters of
recommendation is to just say no if you can't
write a glowing letter. It is difficult to say
no to an eager job-searcher and will require all
of your best assertiveness skills, but it is better
for the searcher to know that you can't effectively
endorse him/her. If you can't write a glowing letter
because the person's performance has been less than
stellar, it's important for him or her to know. You
can break the news in this way: "John, I don't think
that I am the best person to be a reference for you
at this time. Have you thought of someone else you can use?"
Read more about how to write a letter of recommendation
our full article.
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TipTopJob.com is an excellent multilingual, multinational site for job-seekers. The site is currently
in a number of countries around the world, including most of Europe, with numerous
others due online in the future. Job-seekers can search for job listings by location, industry,
job type, and keyword, as well as post multiple CVs and application letters, and register for
an email alert.
The site offers information about "Hot Industries," such as sales, management/executive, advertising, marketing
and information technology.
The "Candidate Resources" section includes articles on applying for jobs, changing jobs and developing
your career, workplace issues and rights, and a Career Bookshop.
Jobseekers can change the site from English to Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, or Castilian
Spanish with a simple pull-down menu.
ClubJobs.net --
where job-seekers who are seeking employment in the sports/recreation field (tennis, golf, health, yacht,
and country clubs) can search job listings (by location, club type, and job type), as well as post
your resume and cover letters (up to 25 versions of each), and register for a job-matching service.
Free to job-seekers.
Georgia Health Works -- a job site for healthcare
professionals seeking employment in Georgia, where job-seekers can search job listings (by keyword, location,
industry, and level of experience) as well as post your resume. Includes some useful links for job-seekers.
Free to job-seekers.
Job Canada -- a job site for job-seekers
searching for employment in the greater Toronto area. Job-seekers can browse job ads (in newspaper-type display)
by job categories and post your resume. Job postings/ads are updated on a weekly basis. Includes some career resources.
Free to job-seekers.
USAJOBS -- a one-stop source for job-seekers seeking
information about jobs and employment with the United States Federal Government. Job-seekers can search
for jobs (by keyword, location, and occupation), post your resume, and register for a job-matching email service.
Also includes lots of other resources and tips for finding employment with the government. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
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Rich writes: "I am just so discouraged with the whole job-hunting experience. Why are there no jobs?
When will the jobs return? I guess I'm lucky because I currently have a job, but I dislike it and my employer
for their attitude toward us, and I want out. What should I be doing to get a new job?"
Eugene writes: "I am a student studying law, and I recently decided to apply for a position as a paralegal
with some law firms. I spent some time looking at your Quintessential Careers Web site. Now, I do not doubt
for a minute that much research substantiates the information that you have presented, but I find it
difficult to imagine that some of the techniques you mention do work. What immediately springs to mind is
the section on closing paragraphs: 'I will call your office in the next week to schedule an appointment.'
To me, that sounds quite unorthodox, and perhaps even pushy and rude. I actually incorporated a line to the
same effect in my cover letters after reading your Web site, but now I am wondering whether it was the best thing to do.
Could you please explain to me why this works?"
Rebecca writes: "I just received an amazing offer letter from the company I would like to now work with,
and I am in need of some advice. Regarding salary negotiation, what is the best way to try to get some
of the other things you want from your future employer? The offer is good, but there are some other things that
I would like to ask for. Is it OK to ask and not have the employer think you are being petty, picky, or too
high-maintenance? Or would it be best to take the offer as it is and then see at a six-month review where I
stand, what I've done for revenue growth, etc."
Roman writes: "To be an eye doctor -- the type where you do surgeries and more enhanced operations -- how
long do you have to go to school and what type of salary would I be starting off with and ending with?"
Based on years of research, the Jackson Vocational Interest
Survey (JVIS) accurately measures your interests, showing how
they relate to the worlds of study and work, and mapping out
your route to an interesting career.
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
CareerBuilder recently polled recruiters for their advice on job-seeker references. Here are the highlights
of recruiter comments:
Job-seekers should provide professional, not personal, references.
References should have detailed knowledge of the job-seeker's workplace performance.
References without that knowledge can negatively affect the job-seeker's chances.
A diverse group of references spanning the job-seeker's entire career is optimal.
Your references should have knowledge of you that spans a period of years and maybe even
more than one job.
The more senior the level of your references the better.
References who have conducted performance evaluations on the candidate are the most
valuable to the hiring employer.
Prospective employers will be impressed with specific examples of accomplishments and results
on the part of the candidate.
The second tier of valuable references includes peers, subordinates, internal/external
customers, project leaders, vendors, and business associates from professional organizations and
volunteer/civic affiliations.
A reference list should include each reference's name, position, company, location,
phone number, e-mail address, and relationship/context in which the reference and job-seeker
know each other.
References, should, of course, be aware that they are on the job-seeker's reference
list and may be contacted by prospective employers.
Net-Temps recently ran a helpful article, "Reference Improvement Guide," in its
CrossRoads newsletter. The article makes such suggestions as compiling a "reference press kit"
for your references to ensure they have complete information about you if they are asked to sing your
praises to prospective employers.
Read the full
article.
John De Graaf thinks you work too much. He wants you to stop. If you're not willing to do that,
he'd like you to take just one day to talk with other overworked souls about how working less could
improve your life. De Graaf has a specific date in mind: Oct. 24, which he and others have proclaimed
Take Back Your Time Day. The day falls nine weeks before the end of the year; those nine weeks are precisely
how much more time they estimate Americans spend at work each year than our European counterparts.
As Time Day's national organizer, De Graaf would have us all take the day off to contemplate how we organize
our lives, or at least take a few hours to attend one of dozens of local meetings across the country. As he
describes it, we as a nation have become so work-obsessed that we are slowly destroying ourselves, our families, our
health, and our environment.
Read
more.
Speaking of overwork ... companies that have decreased their staffing numbers are finding that the remaining
employees are still getting the job done. But recent surveys are finding that overworked employees are quietly
looking for jobs in greener pastures.
Here's
one article describing this dilemma.
College students and new grads should check out this e-book,
The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need:
How to Find -- and Get -- The Job or Internship of Your Dreams!
The book contains must-read contributions from 149 of North America's top employment experts
and is available risk-free for 90 days.
If your school, organization, business or other
entity has a Web site, we welcome you to link to Quintessential Careers.
If you already have a link from your site, we want you to know we
appreciate it. If you don't have a link to us, please
send a request to your site's Webmaster to establish a
link to Quintessential Careers. Thanks so much!
For more details (including sample HTML copy), see our
Link to Us page.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Dealing with a bad boss
* Don't wait by the phone: Following up on all job leads
* Dining etiquette
* What employers are really looking for
* New series: 10 mistakes to avoid in: resumes, cover letters, interviews, salary
negotiation, career change, networking, job-search
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Don't ever want to miss another issue of QuintZine? Get a free subscription to
the email version of QuintZine by completing our
subscription form.
Quintessential Careers Announces Career Coaching
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