7 Steps for Choosing and Using Job References - Jobscan Blog

7 Steps for Choosing and Using Job References - Jobscan BlogPosted on March 16, 2015July 1, 2019 by Trista Winnie There are a lot of things to consider when hunting for a job your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, researching employers, potential einstellungsgesprch questions, and more. Choosing the best job references, and following good etiquette when using them, isnt always a priority for job seekersbut it should be. A reference can be the difference between a job offer and a rejection. With finding the right cultural fit such a priority for employers, its imperative for job seekers to have people who can speak to their skills, accomplishments, and attitude.If you choose the right references, and respect their time and effort, your glowing reviews will be a lock.Verifying your resumeYour resume should cover your work history, career highlights and accomplishments, educational achievements, skill set, and extras such as volunteer work or professional associations. One thing a n employer is looking for when checking your references is verification of the information on your resume, including employment dates, job titles, graduation dates, and more.And while were on the topic of verification, its imperative that you verify the contact information for your references in advance. Lacking current contact information signals to an employer that you are disorganized, and havent kept in touch with that person.Keep it professionalDont use your mom as a referenceeven if shes also your boss at the family business. If you do happen to work for a family business, use a coworker who isnt related to you to as a reference for that role.Choosing the right references can indicate to employers that you have good judgmentand choosing the wrong references can indicate the opposite. If you held an entry-level help desk job at a large company, for example, the CIO is not going to be your best choice for a reference. You need someone familiar withspecifics about your wertmiger zuwachs and your personal attributes. But that familiarity must be balancedwith objectivity your best work buddy is not a good choice for a reference.Get permission in advanceYou must get permission from each person ahead of time. The last thing you want is for a potential employer to call someone and find them caught off guard, unprepared to talk about you, or unwilling to serve as a reference. If your references reflect poorly on you, you will likely cost yourself a job offer.If possible, meet with your job references in personIdeally, meet in person when asking someone to serve as a reference. Meeting over coffee or lunch is the perfect opportunity to go over your job search goals. Its also a good idea to take along a copy of your resume so that you can go over your strengths and accomplishments. This is especially useful for references from jobs you worked at a few years ago (or more). Bring them up to speed on what you did since you last worked together, and what youre looking for now.If someone declines to be a reference, remember that it might not be personal. Many companies have policies requiring HR to handle all references. There are a number of reasons why anyone might be unable to serve as a reference.Respect their timeThe unfortunate truth is that a job search can last for many months. Leaning on the same people time and time again can be asking too much, regardless ofthe relationship. Serving as a reference requires not only time and energy, but availability on short notice. And rememberyour job references may be acting as references for other people as well.Rotating references is recommended. It keeps you from calling in the same favor from the same people too many times. If you think youd have trouble securing enough references to be able to rotate them, remember you arent limited to former bosses only. Colleagues you worked closely with, repeat clients, a supervisor from your volunteer work, and professorsif youre a recent graduateare all poss ibilities.If you have six to eight people to choose from, you can always choose the best ones for each job. You might pick people from certain industries, or focus on those who can talk about the magic you work in Excel rather than those who are familiar with your great presentation skills. Targeting your resume and cover letter may land you the interview targeting your references may land you the job.Provide updatesTime is of the essence during the hiring process. Always let your references know when they might be needed. They may have an upcoming vacation or deadline that overlaps with when an employer would contact them. Let them know when you have an interview scheduled you should be prepared to provide references at the interview.Just checking the availability of your references isnt enough. Give them information about the role and company, the person or people who may be contacting them, and anything else relevant to the job. The better informed your references are, the more p repared they will be when contacted.Leave references off your resumeThe references available upon request line is obsoleteand makes your resume appear dated. Many people, particularly young people, include it because they think it makes them seem professional. The fact is that its expected that all candidates will have references. Having them doesnt make you specialnot having them means you have a harte nuss to solve.Mostemployers today check job references after the interview stage. It can be a time-consuming process, and employers for the most part dont see the point in devoting that time until theyre interested in hiring a particular candidate. Remember,resumes are reviewed so quickly that some information always gets missed, making it unwise to have clutter on your resume. A line about references is clutter, and because it is typically occupies the prime real estate at the end of the resume, where the eye naturally falls, you risk employers seeing that line and missing something crucial.Prepare a separate references sheet rather than mentioning references on your resume.This should include each references name, title and company, contact information, and a brief explanation of your relationship to them. Even better, add the specific roles and skills each reference is familiar with. This gives you another gelegenheit to call out information you want to highlight.Be graciousYou already know its important to be courteous and follow up after each job interview. Similarly, you should thank your job references each time they are called upon. Send a note letting them know you appreciate their time and effort, and update them on the outcome. If you send a card in the mail, consider including a gift card to a local coffee shop. And if you land the job, maybe dinners on you.Facebook Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important