what are referees saying about you?
After several interview rejections, Abigail got a friend in a high place to check up on all of her referees to hear what they were saying about her. She was not surprised to learn that while they presented her with a glowing written reference, they said something entirely different when asked about her by a prospective new employer.
"Referees are supposed to be people we trust to give a fair and honest assessment of our capabilities," says Abby, "but some of them are little more than petty little gossips when they get together with someone on an equal level. One guy I used as a referee actually volunteered private information about me that he had no right to do."
Also, Abigail discovered that when prospective employers telephoned one of her referees at her previous job, the calls were diverted to someone else.
"That someone else just happened to be one of the corrupt managers I had blown the whistle on," laughs Abigail. "I can't believe that this was coincidental."
Abigail concedes that people don’t even need to have a skeleton in their employment history in order to be given a bad rap.
"For all we know," says Abigail, "someone may harbor a grudge against us, and may concoct a story about us that is patently untrue. It is hard enough to live down a real misdemeanor, but it is quite something else to have our career prospects ruined by something we never did."
“Bearing in mind that grapevines carry a lot of lies among the truths,” says Abigail, “I believe it’s really important to learn what might have stuck to us without our knowledge.”
Read more by Abigail:
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"Referees are supposed to be people we trust to give a fair and honest assessment of our capabilities," says Abby, "but some of them are little more than petty little gossips when they get together with someone on an equal level. One guy I used as a referee actually volunteered private information about me that he had no right to do."
Also, Abigail discovered that when prospective employers telephoned one of her referees at her previous job, the calls were diverted to someone else.
"That someone else just happened to be one of the corrupt managers I had blown the whistle on," laughs Abigail. "I can't believe that this was coincidental."
Abigail concedes that people don’t even need to have a skeleton in their employment history in order to be given a bad rap.
"For all we know," says Abigail, "someone may harbor a grudge against us, and may concoct a story about us that is patently untrue. It is hard enough to live down a real misdemeanor, but it is quite something else to have our career prospects ruined by something we never did."
“Bearing in mind that grapevines carry a lot of lies among the truths,” says Abigail, “I believe it’s really important to learn what might have stuck to us without our knowledge.”
Read more by Abigail:
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