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The short answer is, I don't give out references until after I have
interviewed the client, have decided that I want the job, and then only
if the client insists on it during the client phone interview.
The long answer is...
I never break this rule.
I and other contractors have lost references because they were inundated with calls from
agencies and contract firms attempting to get sales leads.
It's wrong to bother employers every time I send out an email.
Employers don't want to be bothered every time I send out an email.
My references are busy, talented people who have far better
things to do than answer calls from agencies who just
possibly, perhaps someday, might have a suitable position for me.
That is not a way to get a contract or a job!
But it's a good way to make my references
not want to remain my references any longer.
Providing references makes no sense
because, for legal reasons, an employer cannot
provide you with a statement. Employers, especially
Fortune 500 companies, are considered "deep pockets".
They fear legal action, have
nothing to gain, and everything to lose. There is no
legal reason for an employer to provide a reference
on a current or past employee.
Sharing my managers' names is not an option
because the last company whom I gave that information to bugged them
for new job opportunities, and it didn't reflect
well on me. I know, you can say, "We won't do that",
but that's what the other company said.
Tele-marketers are but monumental time wasters who
do far more damage than good. They start collecting
references as soon as they receive my email. Then they
contact my references, many of
whom are hiring managers, and ask them whether they're
looking to hire anyone. References are annoyed by such
tele-marketing.
If YOU were one of my references and received dozens or
perhaps hundreds of phone calls
on my account alone, how long would you stay my reference?
Tele-marketers make me lose references, because my references are inundated
with calls from agencies and contract firms attempting to
get sales leads.
Tele-marketers often claim "we don't do any tele-marketing",
and "we don't work that way". But their claims have never made
any sense to me, because agencies and contract firms who don't do any
tele-marketing, but simply check references given them by candidates
will only hear the best about that candidate. After all,
would a candidate list a critic as a reference?
Tele-marketers do nothing but "fish" for information at
my expense. They waste my time because they play phone
tag with me for many days. They waste my time because they
dangle before me jobs they don't have. They waste my time
because they pretend they want to establish a
rapport/relationship with me. And they waste my time
because they claim they're unable to visit my web sites.
In general, tele-marketers have nothing but a telephone and
long lists of questions. Their only objective is to pump
me for references, company names, rates, and give
nothing in return.
Tele-marketers are getting increasingly more
sophisticated. Last week a team of two con men
fabricated a story, put on a 4-hour show, wasted
4 hours of my time, and attempted to mislead me.
According to their story, they had a client who needed
my help, wanted my help, and was ready to
talk with me, but first these con men wanted "references"
from me. In reality there was no client, no job, no opportunity,
and all these con men had was a telephone, an
attitude, and a long list of dirty tricks.
Their only objective was to get from me references,
company names, rates, etc., and give nothing in return.
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