Making the most out of your reference section

As part of the consulting I do, I have occasion to do or commission personal reference checking on candidates. In the last several months, I have run into a number of situations any job seeker should try to avoid.

The Setup

A very aggressive and seemingly capable candidate promptly provided me with a list of references at my request. As I made the calls and received rave reviews on the candidate, I started to get a sinking feeling. The responses were to…

I was jogging in the park the other day and noticed a number of professional dog walkers. They had many dogs under their care and the necessary tools of their trade. Nothing remarkable about that.

What struck me was a) the number of providers I saw on this one visit, b) their marketing efforts, and c) the range of services offered. Parked on the streets around the park were various types of mini-van and SUV, emblazoned with each dog walking entrepreneur’s web site address, phone number, slogan, a…

It would be easy to abandon the fancy notions that placed such a high value on our talent in the late ’90s and dismiss the talent war as a pleasant anomaly. That would be a big mistake.

We are in the midst of a growing, generational global labor and skill shortage which will not disappear any time soon. And, something happened during the last 7 years. The role of human capital in driving today’s leading companies and our economy rose to a level approaching the role of financial capital. So, what…

Networking well is an art. I’ve written about networking tips here.

I came across an insightful piece from Venture Blog that is worth a read if your future depends on building relationships with well placed people (which is pretty much everyone!!!). Practical Networking: Make Your Own Luck

Almost all of the good things that have happened to me in my life were a result of managing and cultivating relationships. Most people get jobs through people they know. Opportunities are usually created through networks. However, many people make the mistake of focusing on quantity rather than quality when they network. They think that having met someone now qualifies that person as a contact. Perhaps. But, meeting someone and leaving a lasting impression are two different things. For most of u…