1. Make sure that you let the person that you are using KNOW that you are using them as a reference.
2. Tell them whether they are a personal reference or professional reference.
3. Don’t give people’s phone numbers out without performing step #1.
4. If you don”t follow steps 1-3 expect to not get a good reference or none at all.
5. Don’t call and be rude to the person that didn’t give you the reference when you don’t get the job because you don’t have the common fucking courtesy to follow steps 1-3.
This is a fictional example. In no way is it meant to resemble the stupid horses ass that might have worked for me fifteen years ago (It’s been so long I can’t remember) and woke me up fifteen minutes into my nap wanting to know if I would call them back and give them a good reference. Yeah, I see that shit happening.
This is hysterical. About four years ago I fired one of my interns, because he was a total screwup. What does he do? Lists me as a reference. Bizarre.
People just have no clue sometimes.