References

By: Teri Grimes

References available upon request. Who doesn’t know that by now? If a future employer asks you for a list of references, you better provide them. That’s why this phrase should never be present on your resume. There are a few other tips about references that I’ve recently learned from one of my professors.

1.Always ask the people on your reference sheet if you can give out their contact information. Also, be sure they’re people who are willing to say good things about you. You can start off the conversation by saying something like “Hey Jill, you know ____ about me, and I really would like it if you would be able to speak to some of my strengths on this topic.” This makes sure that they’re willing to say something that will help you get the job.

2.Never use your parents as references. This gets into a tricky situation if you ever worked for your parents, but the general rule is not to use them no matter what. This immediately hurts your credibility with the recruiter. Sooner or later, somewhere in the conversation, your parents will probably reveal that you’re their offspring. It’s best just not to risk it, and find someone else to put on the list.

3. Make sure you’re always giving your references a ‘heads-up’ that they may be getting a call after you give your list of references to a recruiter. It’s best to attach the job description and your most current resume as well. This reminds your reference of your accomplishments in the past.

4. Finally, don’t talk to your references only when you need something from them. Make sure that you’re maintaining that relationship and cultivating it even after you may not communicate with them on a daily basis anymore. Once a month or so, take some time to shoot a few of your references an email asking about their life so it isn’t always a one-way relationship.