13 Questions You Should Be Asking about Updating Your References

13 Questions You Should Be Asking about Updating Your References National Update Your References Week It seems there are international and/or national weeks for just about everything, and the first week in May was, as proclaimed by Career Directors International, International Update Your References Week (UYRW). Why such a thing? CDI says UYRW â€Å"was created due to the importance of job seekers [sic] learning to maintain a network of warm contacts and references, in order to assist them in career change, employment, and growth.† CDI’s director, Laura DeCarlo, asserts that â€Å"up to 45% of employers check references, so it is necessary to be prepared to be asked for them.† Are You a Skeptic about National Anything Weeks? Even as a resume writer, my initial response to learning about International Update Your References Week was, â€Å"You’ve gotta be kidding. How much could there possibly be to do or say about references?† But then I thought about all the people reading my blog who might not have their references updated. I did a double-take for myself too: If I were to apply for employment somewhere, would my references be at my fingertips at the moment I needed them? I Need to Update My References The answer to that second question was †¦ well †¦ â€Å"mostly yes.† I’m connected with the majority of my past supervisors on LinkedIn, and recently had a nice chat with one of them just to catch up. When I travel to New York, I make an effort to visit my old stomping grounds in Brooklyn to stay in contact with the folks at CAMBA Legal Services. So why do I say â€Å"mostly†? Well, I have, embarrassingly enough, forgotten the name of my most recent supervisor at the University Of Wisconsin Law School’s Career Services Office. Prior to posting this article, I wrote to the man who was assistant director during my tenure- someone I have stayed connected with through networking- and asked for his assistance in identifying her. Oops. From my own erroneous ways in the references department, I can confidently say that while updating your references is something that’s best done on an ongoing basis (just like being nice to your mother on days other than Mother’s Day, or showing love to your partner on days other than Valentine’s Day), it doesn’t hurt to give some extra attention to this project once a year. 13 Questions and Answers About Updating Your References Since Update Your References Week proved useful to me, I imagine it will be a wake-up call for some of you too! To that end, here are some questions you might have about updating your references, which are answered on the UYRW information page: Why do I need to provide references for an employer? Who makes a good reference? How many references do I need? What types of information do I list? Should I list references directly on my resume? Should I list â€Å"References Available Upon Request† on resume? What if I was fired from my last job? Do I need to list that employer as a reference? When do I send references? What if I can’t find all of my previous supervisors? Do I need to ask permission to use someone as a reference? Someone once suggested that I send a copy of my resume to all my references. Why should I do that? What if I don’t have any prior experience? CDI has thoroughly answered all those questions and I recommend you read the answers. You might be surprised by some of them! Another question came up recently for me: â€Å"Can I quote my references on my resume without asking for their specific permission to do so?† My answer to that is, â€Å"It depends.† If your reference has publicized their testimonial on LinkedIn, then their recommendation is fair game. If they have not, then best practice is to request their permission before putting their name on your resume, especially if a quote is attributed to them. This doesn’t mean you can’t use their rave review from an evaluation or other source- but get their permission first, or, as an alternative, use their title only, without their name attached to it. Keeping It Personal Also missing from CDI’s list is a recommendation that I would like to make: Stay in contact with your references! Are you aware of your former boss’s career transitions? Family milestones? Remember, people will be most willing and enthusiastic about providing recommendations for you if you exhibit interest in them for more than their reference status. Staying in touch with your references will be particularly useful if they are prohibited by company policy from providing a recommendation, but can find a way around the rules- or if they move to another company, allowing them to provide a reference for the prior one. Do you have other questions about references? I will be happy to answer them even though Update Your Reference Week is over! I’d also love to hear how you would rate yourself on your communications with your references. Is it time to reach out to someone or find out what’s happening with their career or life? There’s no time like a national UYRW to do it!

Biography of Andrew Carnegie, Steel Magnate

Biography of Andrew Carnegie, Steel Magnate Andrew Carnegie (November 25, 1835–August 11, 1919) was a steel magnate, leading industrialist, and philanthropist. With a keen focus on cost-cutting and organization, Carnegie was often regarded as a ruthless robber baron, though he eventually withdrew from business to devote himself to donating money to various philanthropic causes. Fast Facts: Andrew Carnegie Known For:  Carnegie was a preeminent steel magnate and a major philanthropist.Born:  November 25, 1835 in Drumferline, ScotlandParents:  Margaret Morrison Carnegie and William CarnegieDied:  August 11, 1919 in Lenox, MassachusettsEducation: Free School in Dunfermline, night school, and self-taught through Colonel James Andersons libraryPublished Works:  An American Four-in-hand in Britain, Triumphant Democracy, The Gospel of Wealth, The Empire of Business, Autobiography of Andrew CarnegieAwards and Honors:  Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Glasgow, honorary doctorate, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. The following are all named for Andrew Carnegie: the dinosaur Diplodocus carnegii, the cactus Carnegiea gigantea, the Carnegie Medal children’s literature award, Carnegie Hall in New York City, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.Spouse(s): Louise WhitfieldChildren: MargaretNotable Quote: â€Å"A library outranks any other one thing a community ca n do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.† Early Life Andrew Carnegie was born at Drumferline, Scotland on November 25, 1835. When Andrew was 13, his family emigrated to America and settled near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father had worked as a linen weaver in Scotland and pursued that work in America after first taking a job in a textile factory. Young Andrew worked in the textile factory, replacing bobbins. He then took a job as a telegraph messenger at the age of 14, and within a few years was working as a telegraph operator. He educated himself through his voracious reading, benefitting from the generosity of a local retired merchant, Colonel James Anderson, who opened his small library to working boys. Ambitious at work, Carnegie was promoted to be an assistant to an executive with the Pennsylvania Railroad by the age of 18. During the Civil War, Carnegie, working for the railroad, helped the federal government set up a military telegraph system, which became vital to the war effort. For the duration of the war, he worked for the railroad. Early  Business Success While working in the telegraph business, Carnegie began investing in other businesses. He invested in several small iron companies, a company that made bridges, and a manufacturer of railroad sleeping cars. Taking advantage of oil discoveries in Pennsylvania, Carnegie also invested in a small petroleum company. By the end of the war, Carnegie was prosperous from his investments and began to harbor greater business ambitions. Between 1865 and 1870, he took advantage of the increase in international business following the war. He traveled frequently to England, selling the bonds of American railroads and other businesses. It has been estimated that he became a millionaire from his commissions selling bonds. While in England, he followed the progress of the British steel industry. He learned everything he could about the new Bessemer process, and with that knowledge, he became determined to focus on the steel industry in America. Carnegie had absolute confidence that steel was the product of the future. And his timing was perfect. As America industrialized, putting up factories, new buildings, and bridges, he was perfectly situated to produce and sell the steel the country needed. Carnegie the Steel Magnate In 1870, Carnegie established himself in the steel business. Using his own money, he built a blast furnace. He created a company in 1873 to make steel rails using the Bessemer process. Though the country was in an economic depression for much of the 1870s, Carnegie prospered. A very tough businessman, Carnegie undercut competitors and was able to expand his business to the point where he could dictate prices. He kept reinvesting in his own company, and though he took in minor partners, he never sold stock to the public. He could control every facet of the business, and he did it with a fanatical eye for detail. In the 1880s, Carnegie bought out Henry Clay Frick’s company, which owned coal fields as well as a large steel mill in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Frick and Carnegie became partners. As Carnegie began to spend half of every year at an estate in Scotland, Frick stayed in Pittsburgh, running the day-to-day operations of the company. The Homestead Strike Carnegie began to face a number of problems by the 1890s. Government regulation, which had never been an issue, was being taken more seriously as  reformers actively tried to curtail the excesses of businessmen known as robber barons. The union which represented workers at the Homestead Mill went on strike in 1892. On July 6, 1892, while Carnegie was in Scotland, Pinkerton guards on barges attempted to take over the steel mill at Homestead. The striking workers were prepared for the attack by the Pinkertons, and a bloody confrontation resulted in the death of strikers and Pinkertons. Eventually, an armed militia had to take over the plant. Carnegie was informed by transatlantic cable  of the events in Homestead. But he  made no statement and did not get involved. He would later be criticized for his silence, and he later expressed regrets for his inaction. His opinions on unions, however, never changed. He fought against organized labor and was able to keep unions out of his plants during his lifetime. As the 1890s continued, Carnegie faced competition in business, and he found himself being squeezed by tactics similar to those he had employed years earlier. In 1901, tired of business battles, Carnegie sold his interests in the steel industry to J.P. Morgan, who formed the United States Steel Corporation. Carnegie began to devote himself entirely to giving away his wealth. Carnegie’s Philanthropy Carnegie had already been giving money to create museums, such as the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh. But his philanthropy accelerated after selling Carnegie Steel. Carnegie supported numerous causes, including scientific research, educational institutions, museums, and world peace. He is best known for funding more than 2,500 libraries throughout the English-speaking world, and, perhaps, for building Carnegie Hall, a performance hall that has become a beloved New York City landmark. Death Carnegie died of bronchial pneumonia at his summer home in Lenox, Massachusetts on August 11, 1919. At the time of his death, he had already given away over a large portion of his wealth, more than $350 million. Legacy While Carnegie was not known to be openly hostile to the rights of workers for much of his career, his silence during the notorious and bloody Homestead Steel Strike cast him in a very bad light in labor history. Carnegies philanthropy left a huge mark on the world, including the endowment of many educational institutions and the funding of research and world peace efforts. The library system he helped form is a foundation of American education and democracy. Sources â€Å"Andrew Carnegies Story.†Ã‚  Carnegie Corporation of New York.Carnegie, Andrew. Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie. PublicAffairs, 1919.Carnegie, Andrew. The Gospel of Wealth and Other Timely Essays. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1962.Nasaw, David. Andrew Carnegie. Penguin Group, 2006.