Recommend me, please! How to Choose and Prepare Your References.
You’ve almost got the job. Make sure your references are solid.
References are a critical, near final step in the hiring process. References are people who can vouch for your experience and skill set for a potential employer. References can make or break a hiring decision, so it’s critical to make sure your references are solid. Here’s how:
Choose someone who is knowledgeable about you. As you think about who you would like to ask to serve as your reference, make a list of people who can speak to your work, your vision, your ethics, and your values. They should be able to talk about you and your work with authority and clear knowledge. You will want a reference who will be confident in their answers about you and can handle every question that the hiring manager asks them.
Choose someone who will speak highly of you. When choosing a reference, it’s critical that you choose someone who will speak highly of your work. This may seem self-explanatory and very simple, but it’s a critical step. We’ve been on the hiring side of this, making the reference calls, and we can’t even begin to tell you how many times the designated reference did not give a good reference for the candidate’s work. That may be really helpful for a hiring manager to know, but it’s disappointing for the candidate who was hoping to get a new job. Make sure you choose someone who will speak highly of you. If you're not sure, you can ask your reference directly: do you feel comfortable recommending me for a job? This gives people a chance to reflect and bow out of the process if they aren't able to give you the glowing reference you need.
Managers, Mentors, Movement Colleagues. Who makes a good reference? Managers, mentors, and movement colleagues for starters. Your current and former managers are great references because they can speak about what it’s like to work with you, delegate tasks to you, and evaluate your work. Mentors also make good references because they can speak to your work, growth, learning edges, and what it’s like to support and challenge you along the trajectory of your career. Movement colleagues, particularly those who you’ve worked with on projects and in coalitions with, are good references because they can speak to what it’s like to work in partnership with you. Sharing references from a mix of these groups will be helpful for the hiring team.
It is imperative that you choose references who can speak to your professional skill set and work experiences. As great as your roommate and friends are, if they cannot speak about what it’s like to work on a project with you, delegate tasks to you, and manage your workload in a professional context, they’re probably not the best references for you. Most hiring managers will see it as a red flag if you provide a roommate or friend as a reference, especially with no professional connection.
Prepare them. Your reference should be able to speak thoughtfully about your work experience. You’ll want a reference who can tell the hiring manager what you’re good at, when you take initiative, how you are a leader and team player, and the accuracy of your work. Make sure they know about the position you’re applying for and which of your skills you’d like them to highlight. If they’re open to it, send them the job description along with your résumé and cover letter so they have an idea of what the scope of work will be and how you are pitching yourself as the perfect candidate for the position.
Make sure they’re available. When lining up references, make sure they are ready and available to give you a recommendation. Ask your references for their preferred method of contact and make sure it matches up with the method of contact that the organization is going to use. By confirming their preferred method of contact, you’ll be sure to use an email address or phone number that they are sure to check and that’s up to date. If they don’t have a heads up that they’re serving as your reference, they may not answer unknown phone numbers or check their email, which means your reference can go unanswered. Additionally, by checking with their schedule, you can make sure that they are available to offer the reference, and not on leave or traveling somewhere with limited access to their phone or email.