june‘17 · 2017-06-19 · resume writing will be held in lowville on june 14th and 28th from 1:30...
TRANSCRIPT
The WorkPlace Today
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June’s Quote:
“Action is the foundational
key to all success.”
- Pablo Picasso
The WorkPlace office hours
are Monday - Friday, 8:30 am
- 4:30 pm. We are an Equal
Opportunity Employer/
Program. Auxiliary aids and
services are available upon
request for individuals with
disabilities.
June‘17
How to Keep a Bad Reference From Ruining Your Career From an article by Stephanie Vozza
So things didn’t work out with your last job. It happens. But what’s going to happen when that po-
tential new employer calls your old boss? “Unfortunately bad references are far more common than
most people realize,” says Jeff Shane, founder Allison & Taylor, a reference checking and employ-
ment verification firm. “About half of the reference checks we perform come back with negative
comments.” In a perfect world, a previous employer would simply confirm dates of employment and
job titles, but that doesn’t always happen. So how do you know if references are hurting your job-
hunting chances?
T H E C LU E S
Shane says the most common telltale sign is if you’re getting second interviews and then the trail
goes cold: “It could be your resume or it could be the hiring market, but if it’s happening again and
again, it could be a negative reference,” he says.
“As an employer gets to the end of screening process they start looking for reasons to cross someone
off of their list. If they hear something that’s not favorable, they’ll rarely give the candidate a chance
to explain.” This can leave you guessing who’s the problem. If you suspect you’re getting a bad ref-
erence, remove doubt by having key references checked. An organization like Allison & Taylor
or CheckMyReference will perform checks by calling previous employers, asking to speak to super-
visors or human resources, and asking for a reference.
“It’s about 50/50 where the employer goes to first, however, supervisors tend to be more talkative,”
says Shane. While HR people are trained to give limited information, don’t assume that means their
remarks couldn’t be harmful. A potential employer might ask, “Can you enthusiastically recommend
her?” Or, “Is he eligible for rehire?” Even if the question is averted, sometimes there are clues in the
tone of voice.
W H E N IT C R O S S E S T H E LI N E
In some cases, a negative reference could be illegal. Defamation of character–something like, “I
wouldn’t hire this guy in a thousand years–he’s stupid and incompetent”–is a form of slander and
you could take your former employer to court, says Shane.
Susan Lessack, partner in the Philadelphia-based law firm Pepper Hamilton says defamation of char-
acter is providing false or discriminatory information that harms your reputation, but it’s a slippery
slope. “If it’s an honest assessment, it’s not illegal,” she says.
W H AT Y O U C AN D O
For negative references that don’t cross legal boundaries, Lessack says the easiest thing to do is to
contact your former employer and ask why they’re giving the reference. “Explore whether you could
agree to neutral language that would be mutually acceptable,” she says.
...Continued on page 2
In This Issue:
Lewis County Job Fair 2
How to Keep a Bad Reference
From Ruining Your Career
1
Financial Coaching for
Veterans Workshop
2
Job & Career Expo 2
Workshops 2
Page 2 The WorkPlace Today June 2017
Financial Coaching for Veterans
Workshop
Workshops
The WorkPlace is pleased to announce the continuance of a
series of workshops and assistance. All are free to the public
but space is very limited. Visit us at 1000 Coffeen Street or
call (315) 782-9252 (TTY 782-8093) to enroll.
Resume Writing Lab will be held June 1st and 22nd from
1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This is a hands-on workshop that will
teach you how to build a relevant resume and tailor the
information to your choice of occupation. You can use one of
our computers or bring your own laptop (free Wi-Fi available)
and we will have staff on-hand to assist our participants!
Interviewing Skills is scheduled for June 15th from 1:00
p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Brush up on your interviewing skills,
including behavior, attire, and what questions to expect.
Learn about the kinds of interviews employers use, and how
to successfully navigate them.
We’ll offer the State and Local Employment workshop on
June 16th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Learn all about how to
locate and apply to civil service and other opportunities with
state and local governments.
The Job Fair Preparation workshop will be held June 9th from
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Learn about what to expect at a job
fair & how to prepare yourself to make the best possible
impression with employers.
In Lowville
The WorkPlace in Lowville will be offering workshops as
well. To reserve a space for a workshop in the Lowville
office, be sure to call (315) 376-5800, or visit the office at
5274 Outer Stowe Street, Lowville.
Resume Writing will be held in Lowville on June 14th and
28th from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will cover the basics of
resume writing, different types of resumes, and the elements
of an effective resume.
Continued from page 1
Shane suggests sending a strongly worded cease
and desist letter addressed to the CEO or another
person high up in organization. The letter should
name the person who gave the negative commen-
tary, and suggest to the previous employer that
they should simply confirm dates of employment
and job titles.
“Those letters work 99% of time,” says Shane.
“Virtually every company has created policies to
just confirm employment. Providing negative com-
ments are always inappropriate and reflect poorly
on an organization.”
Shane says you should never ask a potential em-
ployer to not contact a former supervisor; it’s a red
flag. Since you’re virtually obligated to provide
their information, be proactive before you leave a
job and ask your boss what he or she would say. If
there are unresolved issues, do what you can to
address them before you leave.
DATE
Tuesday
June 13, 2017
TIME 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
LOCATION
Jefferson
Community College
1220 Coffeen Street
Watertown, NY
Some of the businesses that will be in attendance include:
Taylor Concrete Products
Samaritan Medical Center
Renzi Foodservice
Oclic Corporation
Northern Credit Union
Neenah Paper
Music for Young Children
Lewis County Public Health
Krafft Cleaning Service
Jefferson Rehabilitation Center
Jefferson Concrete Corporation
Jake’s Lawn Care
Jain Irrigation
Hi-Lite Airfield Services
Fidelis Care
FABCO
Champion Materials
Bellevue University
ACR Health
1 BN ARCD
Check www.watertownny.com for more details
Presenter: Steven Schanely, ChFC, CLU, FAC, ChFEBC,
CLTC, CFPB Financial Coach
(315) 786-3669 [email protected]
Subject: SAVING
Date: June 8, 2017
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Vet Center , 210 Cour t Street, Suite 20
Watertown, (315) 782-5479