Who (and Who Not) To Ask for a Reference
What's almost as important as your resume and cover letter, and much more likely to slip your mind during the job search process? Finding references who can attest to your skills, experience, and performance on the job.
To get the most out of your job references, make sure you select people who will make a compelling case on your behalf. The best choices include former colleagues—including managers, coworkers, and direct reports—and clients, vendors, and other folks who will confirm that you’re a superior candidate.
Be assured that your references will get a chance to sing your praises. According to the Professional Background Screening Association, 95% of employers conduct background checks during the pre-employment process—and typically, those checks include speaking with references. So, it’s important to make sure you’ve lined up the right people when you launch your job search.
How To Choose the Best References
The best potential references:
Are familiar with your work. A good reference will be able to tell a story about your skills in action. It’s not enough to speak glowingly in general terms about your work ethic, technical skills, or ability to mediate conflict. They’ll need to provide specific examples of times when you demonstrated these talents. Because of this, it’s often best to choose references who’ve recently worked with you.
Have good things to say. This seems like an obvious point, but it’s an important one: don’t choose a reference who won’t have positive experiences and impressions to report. A negative reference—or even a “meh” one—will do far more harm than no reference at all.
Can devote time to crafting an endorsement. A hurried, typo-riddled endorsement won’t reflect well on you. Neither will a rushed conversation between urgent meetings. Choose people who can set aside some time to speak with you about the job and hear which qualifications will be most impressive to the hiring team—and then communicate those points in their interactions with the employer.
Present themselves in a professional manner. For a variety of reasons, some people don’t come across well during an initial conversation. Perhaps your former boss has a phone phobia and sounds nervous or gruff when speaking with strangers. Maybe your favorite client tends to curse a blue streak, even around people they’ve just met. Whatever the reason, it’s best to avoid asking people for references unless they can conduct themselves professionally in this context.
Who Not To Ask for a Reference
The worst potential references include:
Someone who might say something negative. Of course, you wouldn't ask someone to be a reference for you if you thought they would say something bad about your work. However, remember that damnation by faint praise is also possible during the reference process. The hiring managers will assume that anyone you ask to give you a reference is among your biggest fans. If they get a so-so recommendation, they might think this was the best you could do. That's why it's important to ask if the person would feel comfortable providing a reference for you.
Someone you wouldn't be comfortable recommending. When you consider asking someone for a reference, ask yourself, "Would I provide a reference for this person?" If you can't wholeheartedly say yes, move on to the next connection on your list. At best, it's unfair to ask for something you wouldn't reciprocate; at worst, it might be your gut instincts telling you that this colleague isn't in your corner.
Anyone who can't communicate well. Now isn't the time to count on your connections who might have the best intentions but don't speak (or write) well. Remember that your network reflects on you, especially when they're discussing your work. If they don't seem on top of things themselves, they won't be able to impress a hiring manager on your behalf.
Your current boss (unless there are special circumstances). This is another potentially obvious one, but it's worth saying, anyway. Unless you've been laid off, know you're about to lose your job, or you're working on a short-term contract, and your boss knows you're leaving and is okay with it—don't ask them for a reference.
An additional note: how you ask matters, as well. Don't just ask if the person will give you a reference. Ask, "Do you think you know my work well enough to provide me with a reference?" or similar. That way, you'll get a sense of what you can expect this person to say.
New & Noteworthy
Employers Are Buried in AI-Generated Resumes: The New York Times reports that the number of applications submitted on LinkedIn has skyrocketed by more than 45% in the past year. The volume of applications is over 11,000 per minute. When you're up against that level of competition, it's important not to spend all your job search time on LinkedIn. Instead, focus on companies that are hiring and use other sources of job leads.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Get a Big Raise: It was a surprise to learn that Season 2 of the Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders spent quite a bit of time focusing on equitable pay. It took a lot of effort on the part of the team (many of whom worked multiple jobs while cheering on the Cowboys) to secure the raise they had been trying to get for years.
The End of an Era: CareerBuilder + Monster. Job Board Secrets reports that CareerBuilder + Monster has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to facilitate the sale of its assets. JobGet Inc. will acquire the job board business, Valnet Inc. will purchase Monster Media Properties, and Valsoft Corporation will acquire Monster Government Services.
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