References That Get the Best Results
How important are references when you're applying for a job? Very.
How much effort should you spend in tracking down accurate contact information about your references? A lot.
How thoroughly should you prepare your references to talk about your work? Extremely.
Know the basic guidelines for job references - and what to do in two situations that complicate the use of references.
The Basics
- When do employers tend to use your references?
Mostly when they're serious about offering you a job. Employers usually check your references if you're the top choice for the job or in the top two or three. An interested employer may contact your references to find out if there's some reason not to hire you. If they can't decide between two applicants, an employer may rely on references to make the decision. - Who do employers want to talk with?
In general, employers most want to talk with a past work supervisor. Co-workers can also be good references. You may be applying for a job supervising others. In that case, employers often want to hear from someone you supervised in a previous job.
Maybe your job has involved selling or providing a service to customers or clients. If so, include one of those outside contacts on your reference list.
If you've worked mostly as a volunteer, use those colleagues as references. - Employers want to find your reference on the first try.
Be sure that the employer can actually contact your reference with the information you've given. Double-check that you have all the right addresses and contact numbers. - Employers want your references to know enough details about
you to make their contact worthwhile.
Ensure that the reference recognizes your name and can speak positively about your work - especially as it relates to the job you're applying for.
Tips for the Best Results:
- Ask permission to put each reference on your reference
list.
By asking permission before you give their names, you avoid surprising your references. If an employer calls a reference out of the blue, the reference could hesitate or fail to remember the details of your work. That can be enough to make an employer not offer you the job.
Your reference list is a typed page, listing three or four references. For each reference, include the name, title, company or organization, address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. Add a short sentence telling your work relationship to each reference. For example, "Ms. Watering supervised my production work at Whirlpool." Or, "Mr. Dunbar and I collaborated on a dozen training projects with the city of Earlville."
Give this list when the employer asks for it, not sooner.
If you post your resume on an Internet job board, don't include your reference list. Provide it later to a specific employer who asks for it.
Once you know the employer is going to contact references, let each one know to expect a call. Give the name of the company that will call. This helps your reference prioritize phone calls. - Tell your references what you'd like them to talk
about.
Say what kind of job you're going after. Ask if they can speak positively about your work.
You may sense some hesitation. Or you may remember a negative experience from that previous job. Try to talk about this directly. Ask if your reference can either omit that experience, or tell a potential employer that you know how to learn from your mistakes and move on successfully.
Does it seem that the reference is not enthusiastic or positive? Omit them from your list.
Once you think a specific employer will call your references, let them know what the job involves. Talk with each reference about how the skills needed on the new job relate to your previous achievements. Remind references of your past work successes.
Know that employers who contact references tend to ask about how you work. Go over the skills that you'd like your reference to speak about. What about your collaboration with others? Your ingenuity in solving problems? Your persistence in attending to details? - Keep your references up to date about your job search.
For example, let them know that you're giving their name to many companies. If you're in the top running for a job, tell them they may be getting a call from the employer.
Once you have a new job, be sure to inform all your references. Thank them for their help.
What to Do in Situations That Complicate References
- You didn't get along with a former supervisor. But the
company where you're applying insists on contacting
them.
Would it be possible for you to contact that supervisor to work out something good they can say about you?
Of course, this may be too awkward. In that case, the Five O'Clock Club, a career counseling network, suggests explaining how your style differed from your supervisor's. But be careful not to bad-mouth either the person or the company. Did you get along better with the next person up? You can try using that person, or a peer, as a reference. - The human resources department where you used to work will
only give out the dates of your employment there. They won't
answer any questions about your work.
Find this out before you put a human resources office on your reference list. Explain the company policy to the new employer.
Some companies fear lawsuits if they make negative comments about past employees. Washington Post writer Amy Joyce found that some employers leave a message asking a reference to phone back if they'd hire the applicant again. That can relieve fears about replying. Consider suggesting this to a potential new employer - if you are confident of a positive reply.
You can also try to find a current or former supervisor or colleague at the company who will agree to act as a reference.
Sometimes, a reference will offer to write a "To Whom It May Concern" letter about you, usually when you are leaving a job. For an employer who insists on having information from a former supervisor, this is better than nothing. But a phone contact is usually preferable.
Book
Find these books online at Barnes and Noble.com
Interviewing and Salary Negotiation, Kate Wendleton, Career
Press, 1999.
Ten rules and four case studies on handling routine and awkward
reference letters. From the Five O'Clock Club career
counseling network.
