Selecting Robust References

My article for the August issue of PRSA Strategies & Tactics is now available. Nurturing your professional relationships throughout your career is critical, and this really comes into play when you’re ready to select references for the decision-making portion of an interview process. For a role in public relations, you should consider recent supervisors, lateral team members, direct reports, clients and even trusted media contacts. An employer is looking for a number of things during a reference check, including: a description of past job duties and experience, a view into your strengths and weaknesses, any accomplishments, and what it’s like to work with you or be supported by you, among other things. A robust array of references can provide potential employers, whether they work in-house or at an agency, with a multi-lens view of who you are as a professional, a service provider and as a colleague. Read more here.