How to Have an Impactful Reference.
The job market can be very competitive. Many great candidates often worry about how they will stand out amongst the many qualified applicants that may be competing for a job. While the two most important factors involved in getting a position is your relevant experience, as well as your performance in the interview, it cannot be denied that having great references can very positively impact your chances. When a candidate is looking for a new job they usually put most of their effort into polishing up their resume. This is important, resumes are great for highlighting your experience. However, resumes lack the detail that will help communicate information regarding day-to-day responsibilities, the ability to collaborate and work in a team, the ability to lead a team, soft skills, etc. Now enters your references. Companies value your references' word for your responsibilities, many times more than just reading your resume. Now you might be asking, what makes a reference “great” as opposed to “good”? Here are some tips to follow as well as common mistakes to avoid to ensure that your references are above and beyond the competition:
Selecting a reference: Ensure that you chose references who are able to speak to the following: your professional working relationship, your day-to-day responsibilities, what sort of projects you have worked on - preferably including what phases and your role within the projects, how independently you were able to work, your design capabilities, and soft skills. This will help communicate based on your past performance, in greater detail, what the new firm could expect once you are on the team.
Give them notice: Ensure you give your reference a heads-up while you are applying. You don’t want them to be caught off guard getting a phone call they aren’t expecting. Let them know when they might expect a call (if possible) as well as let them know what job(s) you are applying for.
Get permission: Make sure you have permission to use your reference - this happens more than you think. Not only is it unprofessional and can damage your relationship with them, but it also doesn’t reflect well on you as a candidate.
Never assume: Don’t always assume your references will give a glowing review. For example; a past employer may have given you a good reference before you quit on short notice during a busy time of the year. In some cases, you may have to find a new reference.
Be mindful: Don’t tire your references out. Nobody wants to be getting 8 calls a week to have essentially the same conversation. If applying to many jobs/firms, have 3-4 references you can cycle through to avoid wearing them out. Working with Axis, we only call your references one time regardless of the number of companies we send your profile to.
Keep them relevant: Try to avoid having references from too long ago. They may still have an excellent recommendation but would be less likely to be able to speak to the details the hiring manager is looking for after so much time has passed. Ideally, your references should be from the last 2-3 years depending on how long you worked together, or how closely your work was connected.
All in all, having great references is sometimes overlooked as being an important pillar for a great application. Spending some time revamping yours can help you become a more competitive candidate!
