Preparing References

References are obviously a very important selling tool for you. They should be positive testimonials about your specific attributes and skills that would make you an effective contributor to your desired position. Traditionally these are delivered by persons you trust at the request of a potential employer that is interested in you. With the advent of professional networking sites (like Linkedin--more on this later) where one's personal work profile is publicly available to those who access them, written testimonials are now available online for public access. These are, in effect, qualified references supplied ahead of time, at the request of the person being recommended. In any case, a reference is usually a personal recommendation done as a favor by someone on the jobseeker's behalf. Because of the importance of the reference, they should come from people you trust and know you well enough to provide credible and supportive commentary. As a result, you should be careful about whom and how you approach someone to be a reference. Some people may not be comfortable providing a reference, for a variety of reasons. Therefore it is important to respectfully approach someone you think could provide a good reference ahead of when you think you might need their help. A last minute request to a friend or colleague could catch them off-guard and put them on the spot.

Tips & Guidelines

When actually ready to call on your references (that is you will actually be submitting their names to a potential employer), give them a "heads up" call or communication apprising them that they may be getting a call soon for a reference. In that communication explain what position the reference will be in regard to and what skills you think will be important considerations for the job. Finally, you can "prime" your reference by reminding him/her of specific events or accomplishments that your reference is familiar with that you think would be a nice support point in supporting your candidacy. This is particularly useful if your references are from associations that occurred more than a few years ago. It's up to you to remember what you accomplished not that of your reference per se. Once reminded of a particular event, then they can be ready to bring it up in any possible reference communication with a hiring manager.


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Tips & Guidelines

For College students or recent graduates -