Sean Fairburn on his front porch.

by B. Sean Fairburn, SOC

Even though your skills may be sharp and you’re available for hire, work is often hard to come by for many. One of the most effective ways to get work is to recommend others that you respect and know can handle the job. You might say that sounds completely backwards, but I challenge you to look at it a different way.

Recommending someone else accomplishes far more good for you than you think. First it shows you’re mature and confident enough in your work that you can recommend others. Second it shows the client that you care more about them than yourself. Third as you spread goodwill toward others it will always come back to you multifold.

Being magnanimous is a valuable trait because it is very rare. I can honestly say that the biggest and best jobs I have ever worked on were offered to me after a friend spoke highly of me rather than anything I could have said about myself.

So your recommendation of another well suited for the job will usually lead to two people that benefited from your counsel, the client and the person you suggested they hire. Now two more feel good enough about you to return the favor. Make recommendations wisely but don’t feel responsible if things go bad. It could just as easily have gone south if you were working the job.

Work hard not to speak ill of others just as you would hope others would keep their mouths shut speaking bad about you. Always find something good to say if directly asked your opinion of others, I can’t tell you how much better others view you when you keep the dirty laundry to yourself. Realize that what you openly say about others will be what you openly say about the person you are talking with.

Resumes and awards are great but people really respond to a glowing recommendation. So set out this month to try to get others to hire off your recommendations and trust that as hard as you try, others will be working just as hard for you. Whether from altruistic or selfish reasons perfecting the art of the recommendation will ultimately serve you and others very well.   

B. Sean Fairburn, SOC
Director of Photography
rolemodel@earthlink.net
seanfairburn.com
(818) 621-3912
Local 600
Agent Steve Jacob
(323) 460-4767