References play a huge in your career progression, even though you might not think of them until you have a job offer. Selecting your list of references needs thoughtful consideration because some are better at being reference than others.
Job candidates can easily develop a nonchalant attitude when making use of references such as handing a list of names along with their resume when talking to potential employers. You would like to think that your references would give you glowing support in your new career endeavors however taking them for granted can be big mistake.
Treat your references as if your job offer depended on them because most likely they will have an impact during the hiring process. References and referrals are important to employers because they have first-hand knowledge and observation of your job performance. Given the nature of networking a job candidate with a strong reference is more likely to land an offer versus a candidate without one.
The hiring process is an expensive one for employers and their worst fears come true when they make a bad hiring decision. That’s one of reasons why internal candidates for open positions usually receive the offer because they have a proven background.
If you have a pattern of making it past the interviews and towards the reference checking stage, and have yet to receive an offer, you might want to talk more with your references. Take for example the administrator who had an excellent track record of employment on their resume and the skills needed to perform the job yet left without an offer because one of their references hesitated when asked about their contributions at work.
The slight hesitancy gave the employer the same feeling and as a result they choose another candidate. While that may seem odd that one person can influence a decision it happens more than you might realize. It’s important to understand that out of politeness some people will agree to serve as a reference even though they might feel conflicted.
When a reference is reluctant they can do more harm than if you skipped over them entirely. Half-hearted attempts at describing your work performance will come through and if their confidence in you is lacking it is much better to find a reference that will vouch for you wholeheartedly.
In some cases your references want to be helpful but may not know how and it is up to you to coach them on your new opportunities and specific jobs you are seeking. It’s always wise to call them ahead of time letting them know a possible call is imminent.
References could be taken by surprise and may not know what role you are seeking and therefore come across as stumbling with answers. Before you choose a reference it pays to talk about your achievements and the skills they recognized in you and which ones are vital to the position. If appropriate you might discuss questions they may be asked ahead of time.
You can help support your references by recounting your history together and talking about accomplishments. Discuss your goals with them and why you think this job would be a good match ask for their feedback as well.
The people you choose as references should be those who know you well and can verify your work performance. Typically managers or those you reported to will have more impact on an employer than your peers.
If you left a job under stressful circumstances such as losing your job and have doubts about using them as a good reference, you could consider asking them for a letter of reference and getting an agreement on what management will say when talking with future employers.
Having references that are reluctant can impact your job offer even though its common protocol to contact more than one person. It is a good practice to stay in touch with your references and keep them informed on your career progression.
How has your references helped or harmed your future job offers?
