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> While everyone recommends you either supply references with the resume or
> be prepared to make them available, many (most?) hiring managers I know
> either blow them off completely or give them very little weight. So, are
> "good references" still a big deal or not?
Well, references can make or break a candidate that is otherwise
'iffy.' I check them. They're not *alway* useful, but over the
long haul it's worth my time. For strong candidates it's more
of a rote exercise. I play hunches: if a candidate is vague
about a past project or seems questionable in a particular area,
I ask about those things. I don't want to hire someone who
isn't candid.
One place I know of asks only for 'organizational' references, not
personal references, that is, all of your past supervisors.
That can be hard to supply--a couple of my past bosses are not
in the same company or career any more, and a couple of others
are overseas! I try to give an alternative (a colleague who is
still at the company, or HR's number).
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John Gough john -at- atrium -dot- com
Principal Technical Writer voice (512) 328-6977
Atrium Technologies fax (512) 328-2789
Austin, TX
