The age old adage that word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising is still very much true.

When it comes to marketing yourself to potential employers and recruiters, having others speak to your value is an invaluable strategy for success. But not all references are created equal. And, when 70% of employers say that they’ve changed their minds about hiring someone because of what a reference had to say, then you can’t afford to show them anything but your best connections.

Fortunately for you, we’ve put together a checklist of the most important aspects when it comes to using references to your advantage. Adopting these tips will not only help you utilize your existing connections, but also help to create great ones with your future employer!

Customize Your List

When you apply for work, it’s a best practice to customize your resume and cover letter to the employer you’re talking with. The exact same thing goes for your references.

You may use the same ones over and over, but the key is picking people who can speak to the relevant skills and professional values that will be valued by your recruiter. Think about what they’re looking for, and what the company culture there is like. You should already have an idea of what the job entails, and what will be required of you should you get the job.

Take those merits and identify the references that can best describe how you embody them. This way you ensure that your recruiter hears exactly what they need to hear about you.

What industry standards are there for the job you want, and who do you know that can attest to you being able to meet and exceed them?

Talk To Your References First

There are so many reasons to not miss this step.

First of all, you want to ensure that your reference is still available. If you can’t get a hold of them, then your potential employer won’t either. This is especially important if your contact information for them is a business number or email.

Second, it is polite and practical to let them know to expect a call or email from your recruiter. Your reference will appreciate the gesture, and it will let them prepare for the types of questions you think they might be asked.

If the call doesn’t come as a surprise, it will make the conversation less awkward for both them and the employer, which keeps you in a positive light and makes you seem organized and diligent. 

It also means that you can brief them on the things you want to highlight to the recruiter. They should be free to say what they want to say, but you can offer guidance about the type of company they’ll be speaking with and what sort of jargon and ideals they can share.

Be sure to ask for permission, don’t simply tell them to expect someone to contact them. Remember that they are doing you a favour, and you want to show your appreciation. If you can, talk to them in person and refresh your relationship with them. Not only will they be more willing to accept the request, but it will also help to strengthen your connection in general.

Have you been keeping up with your references lately?

Update Contact Information

This should go without saying. If you’ve given a reference with incorrect contact info, then you haven’t really provided a reference at all.

When you reach out to your references beforehand, confirm how they would like to be contacted. If it’s by phone, or video call, you should also confirm the best dates and times that work for them. Typically these would be during normal business hours, but don’t assume.

If your reference has a preference, be sure to express that to your recruiter. You should also ask your recruiter about when they will be following up with references, so you can confirm the availability of your reference. Are they on vacation next week? Do they have an important conference out of town? If they won’t be there when your recruiter plans to make contact, then maybe you need to find someone else for this particular job application.

Do you have the best contact details for your references on hand?

Give Them Your Updated Resume

This is a great trick to make sure that the details you provided your recruiter line up with the version of events that your reference has to share.

It’s also bolstering their opinion of you to see that you’ve kept to any plans for your professional development that you’ve talked about with them. Are you on a career trajectory that lines up with the mentorship they gave you? Have you proven that you took their guidance to heart and stayed faithful to your long term goals?

Besides that, things can seem suspicious if a previous employer has the wrong dates or job title when they talk about your work. If it has been a long time, or it was a large company, then it is especially important to remind them of the specifics. 

All-in-all, having references already puts you miles ahead when it comes to earning the trust and respect of a potential employer. But with these guidelines in mind, you stand to make an even bigger statement about why YOU are the best candidate for the job!