It may also pay for you to seek out the unusual, the authority, the noteworthy, and the figurehead as a reference. In approaching a politician you should emphasize his or her being a legislator or an elected official rather than one who runs for political office. Candidates aren't good references, but winners might be.
It will help your cause if your references know your work, have worked with you, have supervised you, or have worked for you.
QUESTIONABLE REFERENCES
Friends and relatives are not necessarily good references, nor are people to whom you have been selling or who have been selling to you. In both cases, the potential employer may merely consider the source and discount the references.
SEEKING REFERENCES
Before you give people as references, call them and ask if they would be willing to help you in that way. If you call the right people, explain your situation, and let them know what you expect them to say, most will agree to help you.
Immediately after each interview in which you have given an individual's name as a reference, fill that person in on the content of the interview and what a caller is likely to ask. This is more than a courtesy; it is a way to ensure that your reference says the right things about you.
If your present or former employer agrees to serve as a reference, it may be worth your time and trouble to have a trusted (and skilled) associate call the employer to check on what is likely to be said about you. When I was developing my? Employment Search Program, I did this for some of my friends. During a call, I first said who I was and where I was employed. Then I named the person who had been talking with me about employment and asked whether my listener might allow me a few minutes to ask some questions. A few whom I called declined; others wisely asked if they could call me back (a good but not foolproof way to make sure the person checking references is legitimate). Others were willing to talk-often in glowing terms. At an appropriate point, I would say: "I know we both want to see Jack hired into a position where your reference will prove to be a valid barometer of his future here. Since his success on the job is important to us, I wonder if you can give me some of your personal observations on where he might function best. That would help me to determine just how successful Jack might be in this position-based on your own observations, of course." Then later, you might press further: "You've mentioned a number of Jack's strong points, but can you tell me a bit about where he might not do as well, so we can avoid putting him in situations where he would be likely to fail?"
Quite often the responses were so revealing that the colleague for whom I was making the call decided to delete the employer as a reference. It's an approach you might want to consider in checking your own references, particularly those from your present or previous employer.
A Final Word
Having done your homework, you will know your strengths as well as your areas of least strength. You will also have a better idea of the employer's needs. This input will enable you to develop the resume best suited to you.
Regardless of the format you use, you are simply exercising your right to sell your services in the best way you possibly can. You should present yourself at your best. Take that approach and you will discover that more doors are open to you.
It also helps to remember that you can't, in a resume, tell the employer everything there is to know about you. The job of a resume is to summarize what you want to say during an interview. Your resume should include only the information needed in order for the employer to make a reasonable decision to hire you.
