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4 Times You Probably Shouldn’t List Your Boss as a Reference (and What to Do Instead)

By | Richard Moy | www.themuse.com

If a hiring manager just asked you for references—congratulations! You’re one step closer to getting your dream job. But before you officially snag the offer, you’ll need to provide a few names, one of which is supposed to be someone you reported to.

How many times have you gotten to this stage of the interview process and immediately broken into a cold sweat? “My last boss wouldn’t know the first thing to say about me,” you say, “Especially when it comes to why I’m qualified for this new job.” Or, you may simply start worrying about a potential employer catching that person on the wrong day—leading to the worst reference call ever.

While you know you shouldn’t be doling out your boss’ information if you’re currently employed, there are a few instances in which it’s perfectly fine to avoid giving another direct supervisor’s information as well.

Here are those situations:

1. Your Boss Didn’t Really Manage You

If you’re someone who saw his boss so rarely that you’re convinced she’s a figment of your imagination who only appears for your yearly performance review, then you should skip this person. I know from personal experience that it’s a roll of the dice to give a recruiter the name and phone number of a boss who barely knows your first name.

During my last job search, I panicked about this exact situation. And I assumed that if I couldn’t come up with any other solution, I’d have to swallow my pride and just send that person’s contact info. However, someone I really admire stopped me in my tracks. “If that was really the case,” he said, “don’t be afraid to just lay it out there respectfully and explain the situation.” So, I hunkered down and prepared myself to flat-out tell recruiters I didn’t think my previous boss had a good grasp of my qualifications. And much to my surprise, they interrupted me before I even finished my spiel and said, “Ah, that totally makes sense. No worries at all.”

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www.themuse.com
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