WERQ! Career Advice for Gay Men

PREPARE YOUR REFERENCES – THE Do’s and Don’ts of References

By Simon O'Mahony

  

You have come this far, they are checking your references. A simple telephone call could make it or break it for you. There should be no such thing as a bad reference. Here are some tips to ensure a reference call goes smoothly:

• Track down and contact your references before the job hunt begins. Never leave it until the last minute
• Choose your references carefully, choose people who know and can speak of your work ethics and your abilities
• Gather up to five references. Make sure you ask for permission and let your references know that you are listing them
• List references on a separate page and place into categories that are easy to read, (eg  employers, academic, personal)
• Make sure your references’ details are correct and up to date including full name, job title, current company, contact numbers and email address
• Prepare your references for a call. Let them know that Mr. Smith should be contacting them for a reference in the next 48 hours
• Always follow up with your references. Thank them for taking the call and let them know if you got the job
• Stay away from generic letters of recommendations with “To Whom it May Concern”
• Do not depend on family, friends, and generic letters as your references

“Make sure your references know they are your references—it doesn’t represent well when the reference contacted seems surprised you are still using them,” says Kate Laing, Human Resources Manager, of Pacrim Hospitality Services, Inc.

Simon O’Mahony, originally from Dublin, Ireland, was personally recruited by Sage Hospitality and joined the organization as a Corporate Recruiter in 2006. In 2009, Simon was promoted into the role of Talent Acquisition Manager for Sage Hospitality and Sage Restaurant Group. Simon is responsible for hiring management positions for Sage Hospitality nationwide and for their corporate office in downtown Denver. He is also involved in overall recruiting initiatives including college recruiting programs, diversity initiatives, and employer branding. Simon works with several local and nationwide agencies, colleges, universities, in order to build a network and pipeline of candidates. In 2009 he was the recipient of the Sage Innovation Award as a result of his use of social media networking to enhance the recruiting process.

When he is not recruiting, (Recruiters are always working!) Simon enjoys Colorado’s beautiful outdoors. He also has a passion for photography and while it sounds like a cliché he loves meeting new people (which is why he probably loves recruiting!). Simon is a supporter of several non-profit organizations in Denver.

Simon can be reached at Simon.OMahony@SageHospitality.com.