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Questions about Job References

Is it all right if we take up your references now?

The days when employers didn't bother to check on references are long over. There are some referees whom you can use and some whom you must.

References are slightly dangerous things. They're unlikely to get you the job, but they could lose you it. So think them through carefully.

There is, of course, only one answer to this question. Take it as a buying sign. The interviewers are not going to take up references of people they've already decided not to take. So smile confidently. 'Yes, that's fine. They're briefed that you might be getting in touch with them.'

USE THE QUESTION AS A LEVER

There are some circumstances when you can demur from giving referees' names out - where you're applying for a job without your current employer knowing about it, for example; or where you don't want a referee to know to whom you're applying unless it's extremely likely that you'll join them.

In both these cases you can use the request as an opportunity to test the water and push them along a bit: 'Yes, of course I'm happy for you to take up references; but I don't want to alert my two main referees that we're talking unless we've made good progress and there's a good chance that we might be going ahead together. I wonder if this is the right time now, or if you think we should wait for a bit?'

With regard to your current employer you can go even further: 'I would prefer to give my current employer as a referee only when you have made me an offer that I have accepted. We should also have agreed a start date so that I can resign in a professional way and leave a good taste behind me when I leave.'

WHO DO YOU USE?

There's one referee you must use and that's your previous or current boss. If you don't, the sceptical interviewer will fear the worst. So even if they've moved on, track them down and get them to agree to act. In fact, whenever you move jobs, or start to apply for another one, speak to your boss about a reference. Ask them what they would say. Everybody knows how important it is; so most reasonable people will not only tell you what they will say but might even write it down there and then and show you it.

It's a good idea to gather a few of these recommendations as your career progresses so that you can pull out a bunch of good opinions whenever someone asks for one.

The best way to be confident about any referee is to get an advance copy of what they would say in a general recommendation and to get them to copy you the one they actually send in response to the organisation's request. Frequently, this is on a pre-prepared form.

A slightly quirky, and often excellent, referee is someone who has worked for you rather than the other way around. They'll say something about what it's like to work for you and what they liked about it.

If you're looking for your first job, it's still best to have someone for whom you've done some work. The shop manager where you had your Saturday job or the warehouse you worked at during college vacations will do pretty well. If there really isn't anyone whom you've worked for (not even as a babysitter?) you might have to fall back on personal referees. Human resources departments are not terribly impressed with personal references, since you can choose the one you want as opposed to having to choose one from your working past.

When you're talking to a potential referee, remember the three areas you want them to comment on:

leadership: your drive, energy and selfinsight
job function: your technical capabilities in doing the job
future potential: your relationships with others and your ambition for the future.


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