4 Questions to Answer Before You Recommend Your Friend for a Job

By LiveCareer

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You love your friend. And your friend needs a job. And your company has an open position that’s a perfect fit…okay, it MIGHT be a perfect fit. It’s somewhat related to your friend’s professional experience. In a way. A little bit. As far as you can tell.

So should you meet with your boss and your department head and present your friend as a promising candidate? Should you forward her resume to the CEO? Or should you simply tell your friend about the open position, suggest that she apply on her own, and then back away? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you march into the head office and put your own reputation on the line to generate an opportunity for your struggling pal.

1. Have you talked to her about what she really does?

Sit down with your friend and have a meaningful discussion about what she’s looking for. You may also want to ask her for a copy of her resume. Review the resume carefully and weigh what you see against what you know about this company and about this available position (if anything). You don’t want to push your friend into something that will make her miserable, and since you know more about the realities of this job and workplace than she does, you’re in a position to get her hopes up and/or protect her from a mistake.

2. Have you gathered any information about the pay scale or the location of this job?

Again, don’t push your friend into a position with a salary or commute that you know she can’t accept. If you know nothing about either of these things, just tell her so. She’s an adult and she’ll gather this information on her own.

3. Will your job or your reputation be on the line if things go wrong?

Probably not. This is likely only if you and your friend are both making company decisions at an executive level with extremely high accountability for every call. If a hasty move or poor prediction on your part could send the entire organization into the ground, think carefully. But chances are, you have very little to lose. The hiring managers in question will take responsibility for this decision, not you.

4. Have you given your friend clear instructions about the application process?

If you need to send her name through the proper channels, and she unwittingly jumps the gun, calls the CEO’s personal phone, and mentions your name immediately, this may generate confusion. And too much confusion might ruin her chances.

Tell her exactly what she’ll need to do and who she’ll need to reach out to. Keep in mind that the steps she takes to apply for the position may influence your access to a signing bonus or similar incentive. And if she’s hired and she eventually shines and makes you proud, you’ll want to grab your share of the credit for bringing her on board.

LiveCareer (www.livecareer.com), home to America’s #1 Resume Builder, connects job seekers of all experience levels and career categories to all the tools, resources and insider tips needed to win the job. Find LiveCareer on Facebook for even more tips and advice on all things career and resume-related.

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