RELIABLE REFERENCES THAT GET YOU THE JOB

By Karen Conole

You’ve worked hard on getting your resume to reflect your best qualities and abilities and have just added that final phrase at the bottom: “References available upon request.” Think you’re done with the “paperwork” and are now ready to interview?

Think again!

Most employers not only request but also check references, so you should go on the assumption that your references will be contacted.

That means, before referring potential employers to them, you need to check your references yourself. At the very least, you’ll need to be sure of three things:

1. That you have the correct name (spelling counts), job title, address and phone number of your reference. Don’t just give the information that applied when you worked there. If the company has moved, or if your reference has a new title or phone number, you’ll need to find that out ahead of time. Many an application has been set aside because of a hiring manager’s inability to locate references. Don’t make your potential employer track down your references; that’s your job.

2. That your reference will remember you and your work and be willing to discuss it. The only true way to determine this is to ask him. You’ll want to do this anyway, as no one wants to be called out of the blue and asked to speak on another’s job performance without a little time to prepare. You’re asking a lot of this person, and your employment options may depend upon what that person says, so it’s only common sense—as well as common courtesy—to get permission from all references before using their names.

3. That your reference will say good things about your qualifications. Because you want not only that person’s permission, but also their endorsement, take a few minutes to discuss your job goals, what you regard as your contributions to your former company, what you hope to contribute to your potential new company and how you hope to be perceived by the hiring manager.

What’s important is not just what your references say, but how they say it, so if you sense any hesitancy on the part of your reference, you’ll need to resolve that before the hiring manager calls and senses it, too. Take the time to discuss your past performance and see what sort of reaction you get when you solicit constructive criticism (“In hindsight, is there anything you think I could’ve done better or any advice you could give me to improve my current employability?”).

If your reference recites a laundry list of your character flaws or of things you could’ve done better, it’s best to thank them for their time and their helpful input, then mentally cross them off your list. You can still take their comments to heart and follow the suggestions you feel are warranted, but you won’t want your next employer to hear those critical comments, which may no longer apply to you.

If you’re not sure of a reference’s willingness to endorse you for a position, you can always ask if she would be willing to provide you with a brief letter of reference which, you can argue, would save that person having to take calls from possibly many potential employers. (While your reference may still get called to confirm the letter, it is unlikely that she will say much to dispute what was put down in black and white and signed.)

One caveat: Many companies no longer allow their staff to give any kind of qualitative appraisal of their employees’ performances. Providing just a former employee’s job title and dates of employment is increasingly the norm these days, so don’t take it personally if you are turned down for a reference letter. Sometimes, however, that person can vouch for you on a personal level and write a letter of recommendation, as long as company stationery isn’t used. It’s always worth asking.

Often the hiring manager will ask for the name of another in the company whom they might speak with, so you’ll also want to take a moment to discuss any mutual contacts with your reference.

Just as you might present different resumes to stress different qualifications depending on the positions you seek, so, too, do you want to present different references to speak to those qualifications. A reference who can only discuss your ability with numbers will not be very useful to someone calling to discuss your creativity, for example. Try to match your references with the descriptions of the jobs you seek. Don’t make your references have to guess the connection between your past performance and your desired job description. Discuss in advance with your reference the requirements of the job you seek and remind him of your qualifications and instances when you demonstrated the skills the employer desires.

Ideally, your references should feel like a valued part of your job search team, so keep in contact with them throughout the process. Let them know not only when you’re applying for a position, but when you’ve had a good interview and especially if you’ve taken a new job. Don’t forget to thank each one with a hand-written note. Even if no one contacted them, there’s no guarantee you won’t need their help in the future. References are often good sources for employment leads, as well as encouragement--two things of real value during a job search--so make the effort to ensure they feel included and appreciated.

References are one of the few parts of your job search over which you have complete control, so exercise your control to its fullest.

When presenting your list of references to a hiring manager, be sure it looks as good as your resume: Typed on bond paper (ideally the same as your resume paper), and professional in appearance. No typos or missing information. Have it ready to present upon request. Nothing is worse for an interviewer than sitting and waiting while an applicant pulls out an address book (or, worse yet, requests a phone book) and starts looking up names and numbers and scratching them down on whatever paper is handy.

Think of your reference list as the final part of your 3-part cover letter/resume/references packet which represents you, and which you provide to only those employers who have taken the time to get to know you further in an interview.

So how do you go about deciding who to use as your references? First, make a list of every potential reference (at least two or three, if possible) from every job you've held in the past decade or so. Next to each name, indicate with which of your job skills and work characteristics each one is most familiar. Then choose the ones to add to your reference list based on the skills you want to spotlight for a particular position.

Don’t use the same few names all the time--especially if you're submitting your references to several employers. Rotating your list of names saves the same two or three people from being contacted by every employer who checks your references.

Ideally, direct supervisors are your target names. Choose your references based on how they can discuss your qualifications, rather than on their status in the company/community. Don’t use the company president for a reference, for example, if she has no direct knowledge of your work. That will just serve to put her on the spot and lead to embarrassment all around. Even if a well-placed person is a personal friend, if he can’t comfortably discuss your work, it’s better to rely on him for job leads and introductions rather than as a professional reference. And if your new job will be a supervisory position, include a former subordinate as a reference.

Keep in mind that you want potential employers to call your references, because you can only toot your own horn so much, and the more voices singing your praises, the better. Remember too, that reference checks are normally only done once a candidate is being seriously considered for the job, and are often one of the last steps before an offer is extended.

Once you’ve laid the groundwork for reliable, positive references, you can be confident in the knowledge that every reference call is bringing you another step closer to your goal.