Amy writes:
I have been working for the same company for more than five years and am currently starting an active job search because of a downturn in business. I cannot give anyone in my current company as a reference because of the need to keep the job search completely confidential, and the company I worked at previously is a key client of my current company, so giving a reference from there is not possible either. Neither company has had turnover to the point I could use someone as a reference that is now at another company. The place I worked at (for 9 years) prior to my last two employers was sold, and I do not have contact information for previous co-workers or managers there. I am interviewing with a state agency that requires that I provide three references that they will contact. How should I approach the reference situation in this circumstance?
The Career Doctor responds:
Your situation allows me to get on my soapbox about a couple of issues — and while I’m up here, I hope to also provide you with some good advice.
The situation you find yourself is more common than you think, and I do not understand why.
First, let me assure you — or deflate you — that you can only in the very rarest of situations ever keep a job search completely confidential. Job-hunting is a people business and people talk. So, you kind of need to get over this hurdle. You can do your best to make people promise to not divulge the information, but the world is smaller than you think — and word often gets out.
But word getting out that you are job-hunting is not always such a bad thing. In many cases, you become almost instantly a more attractive worker. In a sense, job-hunting is a test of your value in the marketplace. Will some bosses be offended? Of course, but others may see you in a new light — and especially if your work helps them look better.
Back to my soapbox… yours is another example of the importance of networking — building relationships — throughout your life, not just when you are job-searching. People in your inner network should respect and support you enough to serve as a reference for you even if they work in the same company — all the while keeping your job search confidential. On the other hand, a casual acquaintance may also serve as a reference, but has fewer reasons for keeping your job search confidential.
Finally, remember to keep up relations with at least a handful of people from previous jobs — people who knew your work — and make them active members of your network.
Read some general strategies for using references in my article, References: The Keys to Choosing and Using the Best Job References in Your Job Search, published on Quintessential Careers.
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