Good references — those who will speak highly of your skills and acknowledge your contributions — are one of the most important pieces of your job-search plan. Not everyone you have worked with will be a good reference and a reference who is reluctant to support your qualifications can be worse than no references.
It is a huge mistake to minimize the influence references can have on your chances of being hired. You do not want a former colleague or boss to put you in an awkward situation. For example, a job candidate recently provided a former supervisor as a reference, but the reference answered most of the potential employer’s questions with more silence than answers. In the absence of good information, the potential employer is left to draw his own conclusion, and that’s not an ideal situation.
Keep in mind that many people will agree to be a reference, but they’re basically just being polite. They don’t want to discourage you by refusing.
How can you find out what your references will say about you? Simply ask “what would you say about my skills if you were contacted by a potential employer?” Their answers will give you a good idea of how comfortable and confident they are with recommending you.
Good references are people you have worked with in the past. Choose those who liked your work the most. Your peers are not the strongest references. Instead, search for bosses or senior management who can talk about your quality of work. The more senior the position of your references, the more creditability they will provide. You want to select references who can comment about the quality of your work and your key skills. A strong reference can help influence a decision.
You can help those who are willing to serve as a reference by creating an updated skills sheet that gives a current snapshot of your accomplishments and projects. Highlight your most recent key skills and areas of responsibility.
Provide references with guidance, and keep them updated as you go through interviews. Then, keep building your reference relationships even after you have landed the job.
Have you ever had a surprise from a reference?
