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36. The preemptive reference.
Your most powerful reference is the one who calls an employer before the
employer calls him. A preemptive reference speaks up for you, not about you. Actually, this is not a reference at all,
but a recommendation or a referral.
The traditional reference answers questions about you when asked. This makes for a
dicey situation because he probably is unprepared to talk about you on the spur of the moment.
A preemptive reference thinks enough of you to pick up the phone and call the manager
who's considering hiring you and recommends you without being asked. This is a big step beyond a reference; it's a true
professional courtesy.
The best preemptive reference is when a reputable person in your field refers
you to another employer. In other words, the referrer sends you -- they used to say transmits you -- to his peer and asks
him to hire you. Who needs a resume when you've got that? This is beyond even a professional courtesy; it's an endorsement. It
carries enormous weight.
When someone you respect asks you to be his reference, take it a step farther. Start a
trend among your peers: provide a preemptive reference. Maybe someday someone will do it for you.
For more on this topic, see Tell me who your friends are in The Crocodile Archive
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