Should you send a recruiter references and letters of recommendation?

I get this question a lot. Recruiters don’t need any letters of recommendation or references immediately. I'd recommend that you don't offer them up to recruiters unless you are asked.

Why? 

Many recruiters will just add the names to their database and/or contact them to introduce themselves and they do it without asking you. In addition to that, you don’t want your references burned out by recruiter calls. Save that favor from your old boss for when you get a job offer and you need your references checked.

Fried Creative Ability

After taking time off during the holidays and being in full mommy mode, I find myself back at work and working well recruiting but my creative, writing energy is zapped. I think all the art, cookie baking and Christmas projects I did while trying to entertain our kids who were stuck inside a lot during all the rain fried any creative ability I have. I need a creative vacation. I have nothing inspirational to say this week but I do have a few things I learned over the holidays.

• 7 days in a small cabin is too much. 5 days is great. We’ll do 5 days the next trip. The last 2 days of temper tantrums we don’t need to relive – yes, I had one too.

• Baking lots of cookies during bad weather is not smart – the kids need someplace to run off the sugar. Sliding down the stairs backwards in a sleeping bag to burn off steam just makes me crazy – yes my kids did that not me.

• No giving gifts or getting them makes Christmas a piece of cake. We celebrated the season without commercialism.

• When in doubt let your kids take the lead in fun. There was no sledding, but lots of rain so they made a mud slide and had a blast. The laundry after that was a bit was daunting.

• If you’re lucky enough to have your husband say, “Can I help?” Always, always say, “Yes you can!”

• Dave can handle the office by himself and he does it well.

• Taking a true family holiday is priceless and I can’t wait to do it again.