Your list of references should not be overlooked as part of the overall package which will help you secure a position with a company of your choice. You should always assume that a potential employer will indeed be contacting each of those persons listed on your reference sheet, to gain some insight into your character, and to find out if you will make a suitable employee.
Most employers prefer to see between three and five people listed, whom you have either worked with or spent significant time with. Even though it is assumed that all these people will be advocates for you and that none will be presenting a negative picture, it can still be a very compelling confirmation of what an employer sees on a resume and in a cover letter.
For this reason, you should give just as much thought and preparation for compiling a list of references as you would for any other component of your application package. Here are some tips on how to prepare the most effective list of references you can, to help seal the deal with an employer.
Who You Should List
Don’t automatically list your best friends, assuming that they will give you the most glowing character references, because that’s not really what employers are looking for. Most employers would rather hear from individuals whom you have worked with in the past, especially in a supervisory capacity, who can confirm that you excel in such areas as punctuality, ability, professionalism on the job, time management, and superior job performance.
Such references can include either full-time or part-time positions you’ve held in the past, and can even be from volunteer organizations that you’ve worked with. Sometimes academic leaders and professors make wonderful references as well because they can attest to your participation and work ethic. In short, almost anyone who can speak to your skills, motivation, or character can be a very powerful reference on your behalf.
It’s not a good idea to put down anyone who doesn’t thoroughly know your history or your character, and you should likewise exclude family and friends because their testimony will be so obviously flattering that it will have limited value. If it turns out that you have more good references than you can list, choose the ones who have known you the longest, and who are best able to confirm your job skills and work ethic.
Getting References Together
Before you use someone on your references list, make sure you have talked to them about it and they are aware that they could be receiving a call from a potential employer. This would also be a good time to make sure they are willing to be a reference, and that they would have positive things to say about you.
Be sure that you have all the most current information about any reference you use so that your potential employer won’t have any difficulty contacting them. If there is a problem with contact, that particular reference will probably be dropped. If possible, make sure that each reference person on your list will be available to take a call or accept an email during the time that you are campaigning for an open position.
It would also be a good idea for you to share with your references the resume you are sending into potential employers, so they are familiar with the position you’re after, and which skills you intend to emphasize to make yourself more desirable for employment.
Don’t forget to express your gratitude to anyone you use as a reference, because you’ll want to maintain a very favorable relationship with these people, in case you have a need to repeat the process at some point in the future.
Submission of References
As you’re preparing your list of references, make sure to use the same format as you have with your cover letter and your resume, as well as any other documentation in your application packet. When you’re going to an interview, you should bring a copy of your list of references with you, in case the hiring manager requests it during or after the interview. If you haven’t been asked for references by the conclusion of the interview, it would be a good idea for you to bring it up yourself and ask the interviewer if he/she would like a copy of your references.
There are cases where an employer will ask potential candidates to have their reference individuals write a letter of reference which can be submitted to the company. Make sure you find out if this is necessary for any upcoming interview you have so that you have time to alert your chosen references about this requirement. It goes without saying that you should express your considerable gratitude for the time and effort that each of your references will have to put into writing such a letter.
On the Same Page
One last note about the kind of assessment your chosen references will give about you is that it’s very important that this be on the same page as what you personally declare about yourself in the interview. Employers are likely to ask your references about such things as interpersonal skills, job motivation, decision-making skills, and a whole host of other intangibles.
If the assessment given by one of your references is in serious disagreement with how you personally assess yourself, that could be grounds for disqualification. This means that you should have a pretty good idea of how any reference you choose will assess those kinds of abilities, and how they stack up against your own self-evaluation.