Essential Job Referencing Interview Preparation Guide

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Here's one list of the eight keys to choosing and using the best job references in your job search:
☛ Do not even bother with those generic "letters of recommendations."
☛ Never, ever list names of references on your resume.
☛ Think strategically about reference choices.
☛ Consider different categories of references.
☛ Get permission to use someone as a reference.
☛ Collect all the details for each reference.
☛ Keep your references informed.
☛ Be sure to thank your references for their help.

You want the people who will make the strongest recommendations for you. Former supervisors do not have to be references, especially if they did not know all your accomplishments or you fear they will not have glowing things to say about you. Sometimes former co-workers or supervisors in other departments who know your work, make the best choices. Again, the key is people who know your strengths and abilities and who will say positive things about you.

If you are worried about getting a bad reference, call your old boss and ask if she would be willing to reach an agreement with you on what she will say to future reference calls. Say something like this: "I am concerned that the reference you are providing for me is preventing me from getting work. Could we work something out so that this is not standing in my way?" Many employers will be willing to work something out with you.

Do not forget to thank your references once your current job search is complete. Some companies never contact any references, some only check the first one or two and some check all. Regardless, these people were willing to help you and thanking them is simply a common courtesy.

Make sure each reference always has a copy of your most current resume, knows your key accomplishments and skills and is aware of the jobs/positions you are seeking. Again, the best references are the ones who know who you are, what you can accomplish and what you want to do.

Before you even think of listing someone as a reference, be sure and ask whether the person would be comfortable serving as a reference for you. Most people will be flattered or at least willing to serve as a reference but you still need to ask to be sure. Be prepared for a few people to decline your request for whatever reason.

Make sure to get complete information from each reference:
Full name, current title, company name, business address and contact information (daytime phone, email, cell phone, etc.).

Overall, you ideally want about three to five references, people who can speak highly of your accomplishments, work ethic, skills, education, performance, etc. For experienced job-seekers, most references should come from previous supervisors and co-workers whom you worked closely with in the past, though you may also choose to list an educational or personal reference. College students and recent grads have a little more flexibility, but ideally you should have several references from internships or volunteer work in addition to professors and personal references. Avoid listing family members, clergy or friends are okay for personal references. Former coaches, vendors, customers and business acquaintances are also acceptable.

References belong on a separate sheet of paper that matches the look and feel of your resume but is simply titled "References" or "Reference List." And never give references to employers until they request them but do be sure and keep a list of references with you when interviewing so that you can be prepared to present them when the employer asks. If you have a job-search portfolio, keep the list in your portfolio.

Employers do not want to read letters written in the past to "whom it may concern." Employers want to be able to contact and communicate (via phone or email) with a select group of people who can speak about your strengths and weakness and fit for the job you are seeking. Plus, these letters do not have much credibility because anyone who would write a letter for you would likely say only good things about you.

Always ask permission to use someone as a reference. If the employer calls and the person on your list is surprised, it will not look very professional to the employer.
References like it when you call them before they are likely to be contacted, just to give them a "heads up" about the potential call. They want to hear about the job, the company and how the interview went. At this point in my own job hunts, I always briefed them on the kinds of questions they were likely to get. I also told them about any perceived weakness my interviewers might want to probe. By collaborating with my references, they were fully prepared when the call came through.

While work-performance questions provide important insight, they do not always give a complete picture of the candidate. If you want to know what the person is like, you have to ask questions that get at that information in a different way. For instance, an employer may ask, Would you trust the reference to watch your children if you were away on vacation? or would you take the candidate to dinner at a nice restaurant with your parents/spouse/significant other? The more personal/nonwork-related questions are often useful, not for what the reference says but what the reference does not say and/or the manner in which the reference provides an answer or does not answer.

The reason you want to give this warning is because it allows you to provide context and framing for what the reference-checker might hear. If you do not, your potential employer may never tell you that the reference is why they rejected you, so the time to speak up is before they place the call. Ideally, you would offer up former co-workers, clients and others who can speak positively about your work and even old copies of performance reviews if you have them. Sometimes the mere offer of these things will provide the reassurance employers are looking for.

No one puts critical information in reference letters, so we know they do not count for much. Besides, when hiring managers get to the point when they want to talk to your references, they want to talk to them-on the phone, where they can ask questions and probe around. They want to hear the tone of your reference's voice, hear where they hesitate before answering and hear what happens when they dig around about potential problem areas.

If you receive a reference request phone call or document. A manager should only speak to areas of the employee's skills and experience about which he has direct knowledge.
There are several questions a manager should not answer:
☛ Example Question: Predict whether your former employee will be successful in the position for which they are being considered. (Got a crystal ball, anyone?)
Good answer: When the employee worked for me, in her position with my company, she was a strong contributor whose work was appreciated.
Example Question: What were the employee's weaknesses?
Good answer: She had no weaknesses worth mentioning that affected her ability to perform her job capably, when she worked for me.
☛ Example Question: Why did the employee leave the position in which she reported to you?
Good Answer: She sought increased responsibility and to round out her knowledge of our company and products.

Skilled reference checkers will ask legal questions that probe at certain issues, such as, "Is this person eligible for rehire?" They know what they can ask to determine things such as whether the person was fired, what their job duties were, authority levels, work habits and relationships.
Most employers are quite careful about what they say during a reference check. In fact, some are so cautious, they insist on completing a written reference, rather than engage in a phone conversation with a stranger or they will take their phone number and call them back to make certain they are who they say they are. It is becoming quite common for an employer to only give out the basic facts such as employment dates and job title. Unfortunately, companies are so worried about getting sued that they often have policies that prohibit anyone except the human resources department from taking reference requests. It is too bad that employers now fear the sharing of information about potential employees.

If you are worried about getting a bad reference, call your old boss and ask if she would be willing to reach an agreement with you on what she will say to future reference calls. Say something like this: "I am concerned that the reference you are providing for me is preventing me from getting work. Could we work something out so that this is not standing in my way?" Many employers will be willing to work something out with you.

If you are worried about what kind of reference you will get from your old boss, you can always politely ask whether or not you are safe using her as a reference. Unless your former boss is crazy or malicious, she is unlikely to be so committed to thwarting your job search that she would lie to you about this. But if you do not trust her to be candid with you, you can have someone else call and do a reference check on you. There are companies you can hire for that, but there is nothing that says you can't have a friend do it for you for free.

When you provide your old manager's number, the potential employer assumes you have told her to expect the call. It is assumed that he/she is going to be ready to talk about you and it does not look great if her first response is, "Who?" You also want to make sure that your references are available, not out of town or otherwise unreachable.

It is a myth that past employers can only confirm dates of employment. It is both legal and common for employers to give detailed references and a surprising number of references are either lukewarm or bad.

If your company has a policy against giving references, it is usually human resource types who adhere to the letter of these policies, individual managers are often willing to give more detailed references, no matter what the policy says.

Employers may call anyone you have worked for or who might know you, they do not have to limit themselves to the formal list of references you provide. The only person who is typically considered off-limits in reference-checking is your current employer.

Here are eight things about the reference-checking process that you might not know:
☛ Employers do not always stick to the references on the list you gave them.
☛ "We do not give references" is often a lie.
☛ References are often highly subjective and opinionated.
☛ It looks bad when a reference you provided was not expecting the call.
☛ You can find out what kind of reference someone is giving you.
☛ You might be able to neutralize a bad reference.
☛ If all else fails, consider warning prospective employers that the reference might not be positive.
☛ Letters of reference are rarely worth your time.

The length of the association will help establish the credibility of responses to other questions. Obviously, if the reference worked with the candidate for several years, the responses will carry more weight than if the length of their association was only a few months or less.

Once a document exists, it lives forever. I have had prospective employees give me copies of letters that were 10 and 20 years out of date, sometimes barely legible from multiple photocopy sessions. After a certain period of time passes, you have no idea what kind of employee your former employee has become, unless he or she is the rare exception who stays in touch. And you never know how your letter will be used or how your words will be interpreted. Adopt a policy that states managers are never to give written, generic reference letters.Inform the former employee that your company will be happy to provide employment confirmation from Human Resources to specific employers who inquire directly.