How To Successfully Use References In A Job Search — 5 Key Tips
Successful people never reach their goals alone
The word reference has many different meanings, but when used in combination with a job search, it typically means what the Merriam-Webster dictionary refers to as:
A person to whom inquiries as to character or ability can be made
Or
A statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the person.
So why do companies ask for references?
Well…simply put, unfortunately, not everyone is honest. Therefore, simply relying on the word of the applicant for many companies isn’t enough to make an important decision to hire someone.
It’s the same as in a court of law when a lawyer will bring in a credible witness to ‘’vouch’’ on behalf of either the plaintiff or the defendant’s credibility.
The goal from the company's standpoint to contact references as they often do is to corroborate the details of your interview. To find out more about who you are, your character, credibility and if their perception of you is the same after talking to other people who know you, and may have either worked with you or been your supervisors in the past.
So, what type of references and how many would do companies ask for?
The standard answer here for your basic job interview will be 2 to 3 references and typically they will ask for references from different sources to get a better feeling of who you are.
I could describe this as a 360-degree reference approach which consists of at least 1 previous employer/supervisor, perhaps a past or current co-worker or subordinate, and 1 personal reference.
Let’s break down each of these in more details:
The 360-degree Reference Approach
Previous employer/supervisor
In this case, potential employers want to see and hear how you worked under the supervision of someone else. This could be the owner of a company you worked for, a direct supervisor or manager. Bottom line, someone you reported directly to and who can speak to your skillset, work ethic and attitude.
This one is very important as your potential new boss will want to know how you will be as a potential future employee working for them. This speaks a lot to the concept of ‘’leaving on good terms’’.
Previous coworkers, subordinates
Continuing with the 360-degree concept, another type of reference that would be frequently asked is the coworkers and/subordinate reference. In this case, future employers want to find out how you work with other people, and if you would have a management role what type of manager you are.
Coworkers would preferably be people at the same level as you and the closer to you the better. Although someone who works at the same company but in a different department might be your friend and talk highly about you, it’s always better to have someone that can speak to your person having worked directly with you on a daily basis.
If you are currently hired then this would be the only reference you would normally even consider using from the company you are working in right now since you wouldn’t want to tip off your current employer.
You might think you can trust your ‘’buddy’’ at work, your ‘’nice’’ boss or your assistant manager, but might be surprised. The safe play here unless you are prepared to leave faster than expected and on their terms, it is better to stay quiet about your intentions.
From my experience, two things are more often than not a reality:
1 — people can’t keep a secret and the word will get around fast that you are looking for something else putting you in a difficult situation if you aren’t sure yet.
2 — companies tend to do what is in their best interest…not yours.
The worst-case scenario is that you end up losing your current job before landing the next one. An example of another situation would be when you feel like you are on the way out, you’ve just had a great interview and feel like the job is yours.
You haven’t signed the final contract yet but start talking about it at work. Next thing, you find out the offer doesn’t work out or isn’t what you expect and now you are committed. Best to stay quiet till everything is done and leave like a pro and on good terms.
Subordinates and employees
Former subordinates and employees that worked for you while you were their manager is also a great reference. These references might be asked if you will be in a management position yourself in your new role and have had employees working for you in the past.
Future employers want to get a feel for what type of boss you are yourself and asking key questions to someone who has worked for you in the past and willing to act as a reference is a plus.
Personal references
This would be perhaps a client of yours or someone you’ve had to work with on a project or in other terms. It could be a friend of yours or a friend of the family. Someone you associate within sports, associations, church. In this case, the credibility of the reference plays a big role in the credibility of the testimony.
Using your best buddy of 20 years may not be the best approach unless they have a position or role in society viewed as important. In this case, employers want to see a reference of someone with a high level of credibility who would only put their own reputation on the line to refer you if they believed in you as such.
In all cases, having strong references is an important part of any job search process. Even though employers expect them to be positive since you pick them yourself, I have seen many cases where they have either helped close the deal or worked against the applicant.
5 key tips about references
1. Start young
Even during your first jobs, coaches you’ve played for in sports, volunteer work you’ve been a part of. There are people around you that you have left a good impression on.
Asking them if they would act as a reference is important.
2. Don’t wait till you are looking for a new job
If you left a job on good terms and had a great relationship with current coworkers, subordinates or even your boss, ask them for reference letters upon your departure.
Trust me, in a few years when you have left and moved on, so will they and the great reference they will give you now will be harder to recall when their image of you isn’t as fresh in their mind.
3. Getting reference letters are important
The written word lasts longer and it adds some credibility and weight to the reference.
Receiving and accumulating references from different types of people is important. When applying for jobs in various fields having references from various peoples will be of value.
4. Don’t overuse references
If you keep applying and changing jobs faster than you are changing cell phones then your same references will grow tired. Remember, every time they vouch for you and act as a reference they put their name and reputation on the line.
If you don’t respect that, they will not continue to give you good references. Only give the references at the very end of an employment process when you are confident there’s a good chance you have an offer waiting or are one of the finalists and this is a formality step.
5. Preparing your references
Properly preparing your references prior to your potential employer calling is absolutely a key part of this process. I have made this mistake in the past and it didn’t turn out well.
A potential employer calls your reference and they aren’t expecting the call and have no reference of what the job is for can spell disaster. What you expected to be a positive reference now turns into hesitation and uncertainty.
Perhaps what you’ve shared at the interview and their recollection of your role 7 years ago don’t perfectly match up since they don’t remember the details as well as you do.
Our best advice here is to call your references prior to the employer calling them. Prior preparation is important. You want to explain to your references what is the company and the job role you are applying for so they have some frame of reference to go from.
You also want to share with your references what information you have told the potential employer about your relationship with each other (previous employer, coworkers, associate, etc.) and it what conditions that you worked together in the past or how you know each other.
The better prepared your references are before talking to a potential employer of yours, the more credible they will be and the better the references will work in your favor.
Remember, employers expect references to be good, even excellent since you get to choose them, so make sure they don’t disappoint and reinforce the good opinion they have made of you so far and leave no doubt you are the best candidate for the job.
The last point I would make is that you will sometime get people to call/ask around about you or check out your social profile. Who you know and associate with does speak to the type of person you are.
Make sure to protect that reputation of yours from a young age and keep accumulating fans and positive references. Best of luck in your job search!
