How to Overcome a Bad Letter of Reference
If you are changing jobs or just entering the workforce, almost any employer considering you as an applicant will want to contact some references. You have the opportunity to provide a reference list to the employer, listing those you wish the employer to contact. Unfortunately, if you have limited work experience or have had problems with the references in the past, your reference contact may give the employer a negative impression of you. Luckily there are ways you can overcome this and still get the job.
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Instructions
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Be honest with the recruiter. Let the recruiter know during the interview if you had problems with any of your work references in the past. If the recrutier contacts your reference without knowing your side of the story, it can automatically cause the recruiter to have a negative view of you. If you are willing to let the recrutier know up front of any issues, it shows that you are trustworthy and open. Be sure not to speak negatively of your past employers, regardless of whether you will get a good or bad reference, because the recruiter will question what you may say about the company that may hire you.
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Contact the person who gave you a bad reference. If you can get to the root of the problem on why he gave you a bad reference, he may be willing to contact the employer by phone or by sending another letter to the employer explaining the situation. If there are legitimate reasons for the bad review, you may be able to clear it up with the employer.
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Consider all work experience, including temporary and volunteer work. You have the right to list the references you choose. If you have several references, list only those that will give you a good reference. If you are unsure of whether you will get a good or bad reference, contact the employer and ask them if they will consider giving you a good reference or write you a letter of recommendation. If you have a bad letter of reference, several good letters of reference can outweigh the bad one.
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