Help Your References Help You

Great news! Someone has agreed to be a reference for you! Now, what’s the next step?

Life Working® career coaches suggest preparing a reference page that you can give to a prospective employer. It should match your resume's format, font style, and font size with the same contact information.

Use this format for each reference:

* Do include the address. Companies may only write to your references, but it can help the person checking the reference to know where they are calling (East Coast vs. West Coast, Europe).

** List the best phone number to reach your reference, and provide times of day to reach them, if possible – i.e., daytime (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

*** Include how you know the reference. This gives the person checking references some context as to who this person is to you and the type of information they can supply about you.

In addition to your list of references and their contact information, you can also provide another page that includes excerpts from or reprints of your LinkedIn recommendations, but in hardcopy format. As resume writers who work hard to position each client as the best candidate for the roles they are targeting, we like to include LinkedIn recommendations, glowing testimonials, and excerpts from letters of recommendation and performance reviews on resumes. Recruiters, HR staff, and hiring managers like this because it adds humanity behind the data and metrics written on the resume and lets them know what it’s like working with you for eight hours a day.  

When should you give your references to an employer? The most straightforward answer is when you’re asked. Sometimes you’ll be asked on the initial application. Other times, you’ll be asked in the job interview itself. Offering your reference page in the job interview is fine if you're not asked.

Never submit your references with your resume and cover letter. Don’t put “References available upon request” on your resume either. Prospective employers know you’ll provide your references when they ask for them. Use that space on your resume for something with more impact.

Preparing Your References When You Have a Job Interview

Update your references often, so they know what is going on with your job search. If it has been a while since they agreed to be your reference, ask if it’s still okay to list them as a reference. Just make sure they have time to respond if they are contacted. 

If you provide their name as a reference for a particular job, contact them immediately after the interview to let them know. Send them the resume and cover letter you submitted, and give them the company name, position title you’re seeking, and the name, title, email address, and phone number of the person who may be calling. Let them know some of the critical challenges and responsibilities of the position, so they will be prepared to discuss specific skills, experiences, and achievements from their work with you. If you are able, send them the job posting for the position. 

Ask them to let you know if they are contacted about a particular opportunity. (When they let you know, ask what kind of questions they were asked.) This allows you to find out what information was collected in the reference check and prompts you to write them a handwritten thank-you note, thanking them for their support. 

If your job search continues for an extended period, your references will likely have been contacted several times by prospective employers. It’s essential to check in with your references periodically to receive their continued permission to be contacted as a reference.

What Are References Typically Asked?

According to a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey, information verified in personal reference checks most often includes:

• Former employers (job titles, dates of employment, salary information – please know that in Illinois, as well as other states, it is illegal to ask about past salary information)

• Degrees, school attendance, and academic accomplishments

• Responsibilities in previous positions held

Companies are also likely to verify licenses and certifications, check for professional disciplinary action (or malpractice suits), authenticate military discharge information, and double-check public speaking engagements or articles published.

Prospective employers are generally trying to evaluate your qualifications for the position and the “intangibles” that would make you a successful hire — and a good cultural fit — for the company. To that end, the reference checker (who may be the hiring manager) may ask about your communication, planning, decision-making, interpersonal, and leadership capabilities, as well as your technical skills and personal attributes/qualities.

The two items most likely to derail a job offer are discrepancies in dates of previous employment and degrees conferred. These are two of the most accessible items to check. When verifying job responsibilities, they can be verified with an institution directly instead of with a specific individual or a direct supervisor.

Employment References: Next Steps

In this blog post, we’ve shared what to do with your references. Stay tuned for the 4th blog in the Employment References series, “Legal Issues and Dispelling Common Myths About References.”

For more information about Life Working® services, check out our career coaching services, resumes & writing services, and schedule your free consultation.