https://unsplash.com/@daria_shevtsova
One of the most important reasons to stay in the good graces of your colleagues is because you never know who could be a reference for you. I don’t mean the kind of reference that you formally announce when you are getting close to landing a job. I mean the kind of informal reference that occurs within professional networks.
A hiring manager with large networks may be open to thoughts from her colleagues about the candidates she’s choosing. As part of her research, and her responsibility to find the strongest candidate, she may get creative about how she learns about you and your candidacy. Just as some hiring managers will peruse Facebook or other social media to get a sense of your online presence and presentation, some hiring managers may inquire about you within their networks.
Precisely because you cannot control to whom the hiring managers speak, and you likely do not know all of the people who know both of you, it is so important to be mindful of your professional relationships. While everyone in your professional path is not going to love you, it’s important that most, if not everyone, respects you. What you don’t need is someone from your past, who doesn’t care for you, influencing your next job search. To prevent this, think twice before burning professional bridges. When you’re on your way out of a job, don’t curse anyone out or act unprofessionally, even if it is tempting. You may not hope to work with your coworkers one day, but you may find yourself trying to get hired by a colleague of theirs. And it would be such a shame if one moment of unprofessionalism threatened your candidacy for your next dream job.
Are you aware of informal references? How has this impacted how you treat your professional relationships? Share with us in the comments below.