Reference Check: Is Your Former Boss Badmouthing You to Potential Employers?

In this competitive job market, everything in your job-seeking arsenal must be spot-on: resume, cover letter, even your interview attire. And you've probably made sure all of those are top-notch, but there is one thing over which you have little control—and the scary part is, it can kill your chances of landing a job. We're talking about references.

You’ve probably hand-picked most of your references, so presumably you've lined up people who will rave about you. But most likely, a potential employer will want to contact your current or most recent employer. Even if you don't specifically include your old employer on your list of references, a hiring manager may contact them anyway. So what should you do if you're nervous about what your former employer might say? Some tips:

Consider your former company's reference policy. Does your former employer have a policy regarding what information about past employees can be divulged? And if so, do they really follow it? As this article explains, many companies don't actually adhere to these policies, especially since they may have inexperienced or understaffed HR departments.

Do a test run. The only way to know for certain what your former boss is saying about you is to have someone find out. Enlist a friend to pose as a potential employer and call your former company to check your reference.

Cut it off at the pass. If you suspect (or confirm) your old boss is bad-mouthing you, it would probably be wise for you to address this up front with potential employers. The key here is to be diplomatic. You want to explain that you and your old boss had conflicts, but don't want to come across like you're trashing them.  

Make them disappear. This usually isn't a practical strategy, but if things were really bad at your previous company and you didn't work there very long (or you don’t have enough other bright spots on your resume to compensate for a less than stellar reference), you may want to consider leaving the job with the boss who's panning you off your resume completely.

Ever suspected a former boss of giving you a bad reference? How did you handle it? Let us know in the comments.

Image courtesy of ElvertBarnes