Hot Tip Tuesday #4

One of the most important parts of your jobsearch efforts, but one that is often overlooked, is the humble referee. A lot of the time, you’ll find that while your application and interview will put you at the top of the pile, your reference checks will often be the thing that ‘seals the deal’.

But for such an important part of your jobsearch efforts, there is a lot of unknowns about best practices when it comes to having referees on your application.

Having high quality references isn’t just about putting your previous two or three employers at the end of your resume and hoping for the best. To get a truly great reference, and to avoid annoying previous employers with unsolicited reference checks, you need to follow some basic rules!

Who should you choose? – Ideally, your referees should be relevant! This means someone who can vouch for your work skills and capabilities in a similar or related role, or who can speak to your quality of work (including punctuality, professionalism and attitude) while on-the-job. Ideally you’ll have someone who was your manager/supervisor/team leader as a referee who is able to confirm your performance from a managerial point of view. If your new to the job market, you can utilise a supervisor at a volunteer or work experience placement, or even someone from a sports team that has seen you ‘working’ in a canteen or similar – anyone that can confirm that you’re reliable and hardworking is perfect in this case.

Keeping your referees ‘in the loop’- It’s vital (and common courtesy!) to keep in touch with your referees. There are plenty of horror stories of recruiters calling someone’s reference and getting a “I didn’t know I was listed as their referee” response. It’s a good idea to ensure you keep in touch with your referees on your resume, and let them know when you are applying for jobs; This will help ensure they know a call may be coming, and it means you can update their contact details if anything has changed.

If in doubt, delete! – Your referees should only ever paint you in a good light. If you get a feeling that your ref-check isn’t going to be ‘glowing’ (even the slightest doubt!) then take them off your application. Countless applications have been rejected because a referee has said something negative; just don’t risk it.

We could go on for pages with more tips about referees, but if you would like to know more, the team at GJH are more than happy to chat further. If you would like to know more about the do’s and don’ts of referees, please get in touch with the team on 1300 084 307 or email jobshub@gcc.tas.gov.au