How to guide your references to help you land a job, according to HR experts

Applying for a job and conducting an interview takes a lot of work. The best resume a hiring manager has ever seendo your pre-interview homework and make sure make a good impression in the room. Ultimately, though, you may need to leave your destiny in someone else’s hands… and provide references.

Even if you had a great relationship with your ex-colleagues and managers, you never For real I know what they say when a hiring manager calls. So before that happens, why not gently suggest a few topical points?

If you are using your current or previous employer as a reference, please talk about it first

Some jobs will ask if you can contact your current employer to see if you are on good terms with the company. You may also want to talk about your abilities as a In either case, don’t let the call come suddenly. Ask your recommender beforehand if they are comfortable discussing your experience and professionalism with a prospective employer. (If you think your boss might cheat on you, Avoid using them as references.)

Your boss is your best friend in job hunting. Anything they have to say is taken seriously. Jan R., a music industry veteran and New York City small business owner, told Lifehacker that his bosses “are sad to see employees leave, so they say they’ll hire them again.” The boss’s sincere seal of approval goes a long way.

For personal reference, work closely with them before calling

If a former colleague or friend is promoting you to recruiters, you are more likely to shape the conversation beforehand. In the past, I’ve even been asked by the person writing her reference letter for me to send them a bulleted list of attributes they’d like to highlight. Is that how reference letters work? No, does that mean your competitors for your job aren’t doing the same?

Think about what you want to convey to the referrer. And they are honest about it. Ask for references to supplement and reinforce the arguments you made during the interview and fill in any gaps in what you wanted to cover. claim your good character and good teamwork skills. If your interview mainly focuses on how well you did in a crisis situation or how you feel about the future of the company, what is your day-to-day work like? Make sure you are ready to talk about what happened.

Jan said he was particularly sensitive to the word “trustworthy” and took it seriously when it was suggested that a candidate was trustworthy. on the other hand, centreMan resource guru Tim Sackett, President of an information technology and engineering staffing firm HRU Technical ResourcesHe looks for different qualities in each role he hires, so he pays attention to descriptions from references that match what the job requires. “One position may need someone who can really work independently without much direction, while another position may need someone who likes to work in a team and follow specific instructions. Just as you were trained to paste the words from the job posting into your cover letter, be prepared to speak specifically to the referrer about the expectations set out in the job description.

Sackett also focuses on determining a candidate’s work ethic. He wants to hear that potential hires are “getting things done across the finish line” and are collaborative in their approach to work. It provides concrete examples of completed projects rather than just general remarks on how things work.

How will your references be communicated?

One thing to consider is how do you reach out to your referrals? Sacknett says that digital references (like Q&A forms that references fill out) can be more helpful to recruiters than a phone call. said to be sexual. Candidates are unlikely to be rejected if the referrer contacts them in person or by phone, but the rejection rate is about 10% higher if the digital form is sent to the referrer. If possible, find out what types of referrals the referrer will be asked to complete. If it’s a formality, be clear about what you want them to say and suggest specific examples of your work they can highlight. As long as you focus on your abilities, you should be golden.