How you are and what you do amounts to the kind of job and the kind of career you will end up having. Because you are one of the numerous people out there looking for jobs you need to fight tooth and nail to fix a position for you in the said market. Your work and your personality will speak volumes but if you have a bad rapport then that can affect your chances of landing a job very unlikely. Every sector nowadays is corporate and the only thing these corporations fear is the chance of upsetting their clientele which can end up losing business and nothing worse than losing business right? Let us know Will A Bad Reference Cost You A Job?
This article will help you reduce the chances of being fired or being bad-mouthed.
Will A Bad Reference Cost You A Job?
Can a bad reference ruin your career- Yes, there is a very high possibility that a bad reference can cost you a job. Your career on the other hand is a culmination of a lot of jobs, internships, projects, and phases of unemployment. You will go through a lot of ups and downs in your life. The first key to not letting a bad reference cost you heavily is to reduce the downs to the minimum. A bad reference can cause an employer to not accept you as an employee. As it states that you are unfit to be employed. It underlines your flaws as an employee and can cost you a job or a series of jobs that can, in turn, reduce your chances of career growth. According to American statistics, nearly 10-20% of the candidates are refused or rejected for the job that they are applying for. The fact that all employers call to cross-check references is one of the biggest pieces of proof of the fact that references are taken extremely seriously in the job market. So the best way to avoid reducing the chances of not getting a job is to increase the validity and viability of the references you provide. Americans take references extremely seriously, they make sure to contact the provided reference and nearly more than 80% of employers will call the given reference. The fact that the students get into colleges and the references they provide play a major role. In America, the word of mouth of the people in the same sector of employment is taken extremely seriously.
Things to do to avoid a bad reference
Here are a few ways how you can avoid a bad reference-
- First and foremost, be respectful in your workplace.
- Make sure you listen to your superiors and be courteous to your juniors. Respect their experiences and even if you don’t agree with them at times just listen to them.
- You are allowed to make mistakes but make sure you own up to them and rectify them before it costs your firm too much.
- Respect the deadlines
- Be clear and precise in communicating your thoughts and choices.
- Be professional in the way you address your colleagues
- Respect the workplace environment and the rules and regulations of your origin. Your work life and personal life are separate honestly.
Things to do when you get a bad reference
- If and when you get a bad reference, try to understand the root cause of it.
- Communicate with the employer that gave you a bad reference and then ask them what you could do to fix the problem
- If you feel that something unfair has happened. Then try to resolve the situation by asking other reliable people to act as a truthful source
- Clarify your part of the situation
- If it is your fault then apologize
- Try to purification on the said situation
- If it feels desperate, it is okay. This is about your career so keep at it
- Make them feel heard.
- If the people you are currently trying to work for ask you about the bad reference, then be honest about it.
- Do not lie to the current firm about the bad reference.
- Try and tell them the true story and let them make an informed decision. You are allowed to make mistakes but are not expected to hide them
Conclusion
All in all, a bad reference can certainly cost you a job. This is because your credibility, skills, interpersonal skills, interpersonal skills, and tendency to work in a team, everything is underlined in the reference that is given to you. It is sort of like a testament to the kind of person and employee you are and hence could be taken as a report card of sorts. This is an exam that you need to ace or else you will take a step back in the exam that life will present in front of you. To the chances of getting rejected from your dream job, you must try and build an ironclad reference. Make sure even if you are not exemplary at the work that you do, you are a good and respectful employee and a colleague. Because in a world as corporate as ours your employers can afford novices but not disrespect, as that will cost them clients and business.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I give a fake reference?
Answer- You can, but you should not. This is because most employers will cross-check your reference.
- Who to ask for a reference?
Answer- Make sure you go to someone with whom you have a good rapport. Like teachers, professors t,c.
