Happy Monday!!! I had some situations arise last week that made me think about references and how many people are stumped by this issue. Personally, I've always thought that references were a little silly. Why would a company be interested in the thoughts of a pre-selected person that will say nothing but good things about a candidate for a job.
However, I’ve since found that much like other things in getting a job a reference is not as much about what someone shares about you as it is about the candidate’s ability to follow directions and present them. While it seems obvious that you should have several professional, positive references in the stable when you are in job search there are many people that ignore this step or don’t give it the attention that it deserves. I honestly don’t believe that references get people many jobs but they lose them for people. With this in mind I put together some tips for people. Read away!
1. Choose the Right Person
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see out there. To be clear – nobody wants to hear from your mom, pastor, neighbor or best friend. While I’m certain that they do love you and think highly of you they are not people that are imminently qualified to discuss why you would be a strong candidate for a job and probably can’t offer the relevant information that people are seeking. Instead focus on people that you have worked for. The single two best references in my opinion are managers and customers. Essentially it is anyone that you have professionally given a deliverable to.
These are the people that can make you look good because they will speak the same language as the person trying to hire you. If you don’t have a manager or a customer that you can use as a reference you have a problem as it will raise red flags for the future employer. Your third option by a longshot is a co-worker that can speak about your work. However, if you go this route this person has to be familiar with your work. Just saying that you were a really good cubicle mate will not suffice.
2. Ask For Permission
Call and ask your potential references for permission to use them. This is really important. First, nothing looks worse than someone supplying a reference that says bad things about you. People do not want to give bad references and will most likely tell you that they aren’t comfortable providing a reference if this is the case. Secondly, you want them prepared for the call. The next worst thing that can happen with a reference is if your reference doesn’t remember you or hasn’t been thinking enough about you to give meaningful information.
3. Ask What They Will Say About You
This is another step that can really set you up for success. After you get permission, ask what they would likely say. This fulfills two purposes. First, you can root out if they will actually say good things about you. If they don’t know what to say you can think about crossing them off of the list. More importantly, it gives you the chance to impact what they are going to say. When starting this discussion you should take some time to tell your reference about what you are interviewing for and then ask them what they might offer up to the employer. By doing this you are setting them up to be successful. Now they will be talking about why you would be good for the company as well as why you are a good employee.
4. Prepare Them For the Call
Typically when companies ask for references it is because they are planning to call them and move towards making an offer. Having unresponsive references will reflect poorly on you! Once you have been told that someone will be calling – give your references a heads up. Ask them what number they should be called on. In short, make this a short and painless process.
Those are my thoughts for today. Have a great week and as always please let me know if you have any questions or comments!
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