Here's a point which I'm surprised no-one has mentioned yet. Basically, very few employer actually take note of references.
These days, more and more companies shy away from giving references. One of my previous employers, when asked for a reference, would say only that the person worked for them, for what period, and in what capacity. They were terrified of the legal consequences of doing otherwise. Quite a few employers realize this, and don't even ask for refs. Other employers, or even recruiters, really prefer to trust their gut reaction to you during the interview, and are either prepared to disregard what anyone else may say/think. In my five years hanging around the IT Scene here in Sydney, I've been astonished how prevalent this attitude is. And even when employers/recruiters ask for references, you'd be astonished how rarely they actually go to the trouble of checking them. I used to have a short list of people, who were also trusted friends (very helpful !) whose names I regularly gave out as referees. Every now and then, I'd ask who or how many people contacted them. The answer was usually .......... you guessed it ....... no-one. If there is a moral to this ramble, it is ....... don't stress about references. They are overrated as either a positive or a negative concern. --- You are currently subscribed to cfaussie as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] MX Downunder AsiaPac DevCon - http://mxdu.com/
