How to Brief and Share Your References
Most employers today perform reference checks before hiring someone. Today, we are sharing how to brief and share your references. If you’ve got the right skills and experience, it would be a shame if your references were to prevent you from landing a new job! So, what can you do to make sure you have a stellar reference list? Manage your references like so:
- Maintain positive relationships with former supervisors and coworkers. Social media platforms like LinkedIn make it easy, but you should still check in periodically.
- Don’t ever use someone as a reference without their permission. Not just in general, but each time you plan to share your references. Aside from other benefits, asking someone if you can use them for a reference is generally a polite way of asking “Are you willing to provide a positive reference for me?”
- Always ask your references for their updated contact information before giving your references to the hiring manager.
- Another benefit of reaching out each time you want to use someone as a reference is that you can tell them about the specific opportunity, which will help them give their feedback. While you can’t dictate what they say, you can provide suggestions such as describing a time when you worked together on a project perhaps.
- Finally, only provide your references when requested by the hiring manager. For instance, it is best practice to not list your references on your resume.
Don’t have a clue what a reference page looks like? We are here to help! Here is what to include on a reference page: Free Reference Page Templates
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