Check Your References

As often as we have discussed Canada’s job growth in the Synergy Merchant Services Blog, we have mentioned that we are continuing to do our part in offering career opportunities. Those seeking employment in the merchant cash advance field are invited to contact us about available positions, as we are always looking to add to our fantastic team.

That being said, when looking for work in any type of field, there are some important steps to follow if you are truly interested in securing employment for yourself. First things first, be on time! There’s nothing worse than making a bad first impression. If you are scheduled to show up for an interview, make sure to give yourself enough time to be there early!

In addition, if you have secured yourself a position and you show up to work late on your very first day, don’t be surprised if your tenure doesn’t last very long. Tardiness is not a trait you want to possess when starting a new job. Getting that job was hard enough already. You don’t want to mess it up by not even showing up for it on time.

For many would-be employees, even getting the opportunity for a first day of work is difficult. Tiny changes to your resume may just help for the process to become much easier. Sadly, many people looking for jobs overlook simple but glaring mistakes on their resumes.

Today, the QMI Agency reports on one of these errors that seems to be keeping a lot of job seekers out of the workplace. Bad references make for bad candidates, says the report. It reveals that “a new survey shows managers remove 26% of job applicants from consideration after talking to their references.”

That’s a fourth of all job applicants losing out on a job position simply because they listed a reference who did not provide a glowing report about their work. Evidently, it is imperative for all of you job seekers out there to make sure that your references are people that not only know you, but like you as well.

The survey, which was conducted by Office Team, a temporary placement agency, polled 300 Canadian senior managers at companies that have at least 20 employees. The survey found that “19% of interviewers call a reference to get a sense of an applicant’s strengths and weaknesses, 27% seek information about past job duties, 14% ask about past workplace accomplishments, 9% want confirmation about job titles and dates, and 7% want to know about an applicant’s preferred job culture.”

Said Robert Hosking, executive director of Office Team: “When hiring managers narrow the field to a few potential candidates, the reference check often becomes the deciding factor. To distinguish themselves from the competition, job seekers should assemble a solid list of contacts who can persuasively communicate their qualifications and professional attributes.”