A referee is anyone who can vouch for
what you are like as a person and what you are like to work with. When
choosing someone to be your referee, think about people who can say good
things about you to potential employers.
Who to ask
Don’t
use family members or friends as referees. Unless you have worked with
them their opinion won’t count for much.
Ask someone you have
worked with at school, in the community or in the workplace. A referee
doesn’t just have to be your old boss. It could be a co-worker or
customer or client you dealt with regularly.
You can still have
referees if you haven’t had a job before. Your high-school teacher or
principal or the member of a charity you volunteer with could be your
referee. Anyone who knows what you’re like to work with and who is
willing to speak in your favour would make a good referee.
How
do I go about getting a referee?
To get a referee all you have
to do is ask for their permission and their contact details.
When
someone agrees to be your referee, it means that they'll let you pass
on their contact details to any potential future employers. They should
be ready and willing to answer a phone call or email to provide
information that complements your job application or résumé.
What
do I need to tell them?
Make sure you ask about the correct
name, job title and current contact details to use for each of your
referees. Let them know that you are applying for jobs and that they may
be contacted and asked to answer some questions about you.
You
could also let them know a little bit about the kind of jobs you are
applying for (e.g., a job description and the name of the company who
may contact them).
Employers usually contact referees after
they've interviewed you, so it's a good idea to contact your referees
after your interview to let them know to expect a call. This will also
let you make sure your referees won't be overseas or unavailable when
your potential new employer tries to call them.
Employers will not
be impressed if referees sound surprised when they are called. This
makes it look like you aren’t any good at communication or organisation.
How many do I need?
If you answered a job advertisement, it
will often tell you how many referee contacts you need. If it's not
specified by the ad, or if you got the interview through cold-calling or
word of mouth, the usual number is two or three.
If you've
got more than three referees, pick the ones which best match the job
you're going for and who will be easiest for the employer to contact.
Referees
vs. written references
Most employers prefer to talk to a
referee in person, so providing your referees' contact details is
usually enough.
Contact details for referees should be the
last thing on your résumé. Some people prefer to write "references can
be provided upon request" instead of providing contact details, then
wait until asked to provide contact details for referees.
There
are situations, however, where written references are useful. A written
reference is like a letter from your referee to any future employer and
includes a description of:
- The kind of work you did
- How
well you did it
- What you were like to work with
If
you have written references you should consider including one or two
with your cover letter and résumé, but only if they relate specifically
to the skills or experience required for the job you’re applying for.
Otherwise it’s best to leave all your references and certificates at
home - the less your potential new employer has to read, the better.
What if I get the job?
You should always thank your referees
after you know the result of your job application, whether you got the
job or not.
Even if you were unsuccessful, your referees may have
some valuable information about the questions they were asked during
the referee check. This kind of inside information could really help you
with your next job application or interview.
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