About References

At some time in the long process of getting a job someone is bound to ask, “Do you have any references?”

You don’t want to be caught short here, so while you are preparing your résumé and cover letter, looking up job listings and posting your résumé on Monster, you should give some thought to making a list of people who will say good things about you.

Ideally, every time you leave a job you should ask for a letter of recommendation. These should go into your files. But most of us aren’t that diligent. More than likely, you will have to start your collection now, while you are applying for your dream job.

Here are some things to remember about references...

Choosing a Reference

There are a number of different kinds of references. There are character references, job verifications, professional references and others. Obviously, not everyone — former supervisors, friends and teachers — will qualify for all of these. So, depending on what sort of job you are applying for, choose the people who knew you best in a given role.

Always Ask First

Never use someone as a reference before asking his or her permission. Contact each person first; describe what you are up to and the sort of job for which you are applying. Discuss what kind of referral you might need, what the employer may want and the recommendation you have in mind. You don’t want to put words into your reference’s mouth, but you need to know if they can say what you need and how they will do that.

Those Tacky Problems

A common problem we often hear: “I don’t trust my ex-boss to give me a good reference.” Perhaps it is worse; for instance, your boss might have just fired you and you are sure he isn’t going to say anything good about you.

There are several paths around this particular problem. The best approach, admittedly not always available, is to call your ex-boss and explain that you are applying for a job (at this point you don’t need to tell him where). Admit that you are aware “we had problems,” but ask him if he would write a letter of job verification (this is not the same as a letter of reference; it’s a letter that states you worked for him, when you did so, and what your responsibilities were).

A different solution to the same problem is to ask another supervisor or a co-worker to write you a letter of recommendation. For example, Jane may have worked with you on a project and is fully aware of your problems with Bill, but she knows you to be an able worker and would be happy to write a letter for you.

Finally, you can always provide your list of references to your prospective employer and ask that they not contact your prior place of employment. This may require an explanation on your part and you should have one ready. Bear in mind that you should not badmouth a former boss, workplace or company; it may ruin your chance for employment.

The odds are, your former employer won’t badmouth you either. Many people don’t know this, but a host of libel suits have changed the way companies respond to calls from other employers. These days, most companies will do no more than verify your employment, avoiding any discussion about the quality of your work.

Never Offer References

In days past, people “published” a list of references and appended it to their résumé, or they provided names and phone numbers of former supervisors in the résumé. Today, this is no longer necessary. Furthermore, it can diminish the value of your references.

In many cases, the more “off the cuff” you give references, the more credence they will be given. Of course, if you are filling out a form, this approach will not work; so you’d best have them ready to go, just in case.

Additional Information

Click here for advice on getting and providing references, from About.com.

Click here for more on choosing and using the best job references, from Quintessential Careers.