Your résumé is strong; you won the interview; you followed up with thank-you notes. You're pretty sure you have this job clinched.
Now the company is asking for references. These can make or break you.
Who is the best reference for a prospective employer? Begin with the following pointers if you really want the job.
- Be sure your references have known you for at least a year or so, will say good things about you and are aware that you are looking for a new job and why.
- Make sure you have spoken to each reference in the last month with an update on your job search. Share your aspirations, strengths and abilities to do the job you are seeking.
- Give your references a "heads up" that this employer will be calling. Tell your references how much you want this job. Find out what your prospective employer can expect to hear about you.
- Ideally, potential employers want to hear from prior bosses who can say how you performed in your previous jobs. If you cannot give a potential employer the name of your current boss (for instance, if you don't want your current employer to know you're job hunting), provide the name of your boss before your current job.
- Professors who graded your work in school can also be used as references. However, be sure you have a prior supervisor's testimonial as well.
- If employers are interested in your interpersonal or leadership skills, sometimes they will ask for references from colleagues or people you managed.
- You can offer to give potential employers a copy of your most recent performance review, but read it first and be sure that it speaks well of you.
- Letters of references help, but they are not as powerful as a conversation between a future boss and a prior supervisor. In these phone calls, your potential boss can probe for details on how you performed and -- you hope -- your reference can promote your skills and accomplishments.
- Be sure you ask your references the following question, "Would you hire me again?" And be sure that their answer is an unqualified "Yes!"
Don't worry about the jobs you've left. Good reference-checking will discover the facts. Clashes in values or culture or with new bosses who came into your company after the supervisor who hired you departed can be acceptable reasons for parting ways.
However, your performance should be undeniably strong. Get references that will substantiate that.
