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Choose and Use the
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After the job interview your biggest concern is the quality of these references from your past employers.
Good job references can be the deciding factor in whether you get the job offer or not. Properly manage your employment references and they can be a very effective tool in helping you get the job you want.
It is important to start planning and preparing your employment references in advance of your job interview and not leave it until the interviewer asks you for a list of references.
Choosing the Right Job References
First off you need to strategically consider who you will ask to serve as employment references.
Ideally you want to organize about three to five reference checks that meet the following selection criteria:
- People who know your strengths and abilities and who you can rely on to be positive about you. They also need to know you well enough to be prepared and able to answer any questions the prospective employer asks and to confirm your resume information.
- For candidates with previous work experience most references should come from former managers or supervisors or even co-workers who you have worked closely with. They are suitable if you feel they know you well enough to provide an accurate assessment of your work responsibilities and performance. Interns or students can call on College Professors, Teachers, Administrators, Extracurricular Advisors, Coaches and any professional people that they have had reasonable contact with such as part-time employers
- Select a good mix of people that can provide information on you from different perspectives. This helps the potential employer to get a full picture. It is quite acceptable to include references other than your previous employers. Business associates, customers and clients are also appropriate references if they have sufficient knowledge of your skills and accomplishments to answer typical reference questions. If you do community or volunteer work, members of these organizations can also be used as references.
- Avoid listing personal friends or family members as possible reference checks. Employers consider these sources of information to be unreliable for good reason! Don't list references who only know you in a social capacity, stick to people who have worked with or who can discuss your work-related qualities.
- They must be easily contactable. A potential employer will only get frustrated if they are unable to get hold of your employment references because they are out of the country, always in meetings or are just unavailable.
- References should be as current as possible. Employers generally check with your most recent jobs first and regard this as the most reliable information.
Get the Reference's Permission
Before listing the person as a reference check, contact them in advance and get their permission. It will reflect very badly if the prospective employer contacts them and the reference is taken by surprise.
- Rather than just asking, "Will you act as a reference?" ask "Do you feel you are familiar enough with my work performance to give a valid reference and answer questions about me?" Putting it this way will give them an out if they are reluctant and will alert you if they have reservations about serving as a reference.
- If the reference is not someone who you are regularly in contact with you could ask for their permission more formally in a letter or e-mail. This more indirect method can be used if you are not sure that the reference will accept - it is easier for them to decline than a direct approach.
- Make sure they are truly comfortable to act as a reference. If they appear at all reluctant they may not give the strong recommendation you need, so move on to someone else.
- If they are comfortable with acting as a job reference check verify all their details you need to put on your job reference list including correct spelling of full name, current position and title, phone numbers, email address etc. The potential employer will be unimpressed if the information you provide about your job references is out of date.
- Follow up with a letter or email thanking them for agreeing to be your reference. Send it with a copy of your resume so they are familiar with the information that the prospective employer will be asking questions about. Keep them up to date with details of your job interviews. This helps them to be prepared for the phone calls or emails they may get.
- You can ask your references to each write a letter of recommendation that you can use as a ready-made reference to give the interviewer. This letter will also give you a good idea of the sort of responses they will give when they are contacted by phone for more information. Be aware that a potential employer will usually not consider a letter of recommendation as sufficient but will follow up with a verbal reference.
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Draw up a Reference List
Once you have selected and got permission from your references you need to put together a list to give to the interviewer. This should be typed onto a letterhead or good quality plain paper with your name and contact details at the top. Then list each reference with this general format:
Full name
Current Job Title/Position
Company Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Telephone numbers
E-mail address
Don't leave preparing your job references to the last minute. Make your job references work for you and win the job offer!
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