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At one time, members of Generation Y would apply for a job and ask, “what can you do for me?”  However, employers claim that the downturn in the economy has led this group to be much more humble, instead saying, “here’s what I can do for you.”  They say the lack of jobs has changed this generation’s attitudes.  Read more… continue reading...

    ROCHESTER, Mich., March 5 /PRNewswire/ --

    1. Make sure your records are correct. Occasionally an interviewee looks
       bad because a former Human Resources department did not have the same
       job dates, title or salary information in their files as what was
       found on a resume. Data entry or communications errors are not
       unusual, so check with your former HR department to ensure that its
       records correspond to yours. Conflicting data will be perceived as a
       big negative to a prospective employer and may cost you that great new
       job.

    2. Maintain active and positive relationships with your references. Stay
       in touch over the phone or over coffee. Keep the reference up-to-date
       about your career, and make sure you have the most up-to-date job
       information about them. It does not look good to a prospective employer
       if the reference's title (or name) has changed, or if they have left a
       position and you have provided old information to the prospective
       employer.

    3. Advise a reference about an important opportunity. To avoid burning out
       your references, you do not need to call them about every single job
       opportunity. However, if a particular position is very important or
       appealing to you, call references and give them details about what the
       company may be looking for from you and make sure your references are
       up to date with any new skill sets you may have acquired.

    4. Know reporting relationships. Even though you have given the senior
       vice president's name as a reference, the prospective employer may
       resort to calling the director you reported to because they cannot
       reach the senior executive. Even though you may not have given that
       person's name as a reference, it is on the application that you
       probably filled out. You may want to advise your former boss about the
       potential reference check and explain why the company is interested in
       you.

    5. Know your former company's reference policy. Although federal law
       restricts reference information, some states now allow more extensive
       disclosure. Know which regulations and policies govern your company. In
       addition, be aware that some employees will break company policy
       because giving a reference can be very emotional. Make sure this works
       in your favor by checking with references to gain an understanding of
       what they might say.

    6. Don't rely on relatives or letters of recommendation. You are well
       advised not to let Uncle John regale a prospective employer about your
       antics as a youth. Also, although letters of recommendation can be
       helpful, information such as titles and even names can change over
       time. Make sure that the information on any letter of recommendation is
       correct by contacting the reference periodically.

    7. Use a professional reference-checking service. If you want help in
       providing good references or if you find that you are losing too many
       job opportunities after several interviews, you might want to
       commission a professional reference-checking service. Check to ensure
       that the service has the professional and legal personnel that can
       develop a strategic use of your references. Typical service fees range
       from $69 to $99 per reference checked, depending on level of job
       position being sought.

Allison & Taylor, Inc. is headquartered in Michigan. The firm operates http://www.jobreferences.com and http://www.allisontaylor.com and has been checking references for individuals since 1984. Its services have been listed and recommended in best-selling books by Martin Yate, http://www.knockemdead.com. In addition, numerous articles have been published about the Allison & Taylor reference-checking service in magazines and newspapers across the country. For more information, please visit http://www.jobreferences.com or http://www.allisontaylor.com or call 800.651.2460. continue reading...