References come in many shapes and sizes. Your mother,
sibling, village elder, college mate, current supervisor etc etc can all act as
a reference point. However, employers are normally looking for professional
references. Those individuals who can attest to your ability to deliver work-wise. And as we are going to learn, some referees can do more harm than good.
references. Those individuals who can attest to your ability to deliver work-wise. And as we are going to learn, some referees can do more harm than good.
Here are the do's and don’ts when
it comes to references.
1.
Always give the name and contact of someone who knows you well.
Often I find fresh graduates or even experienced professionals listing the name
of their lecturers and college owners. The question is, how well do these
individuals know you? And if you are past college with over one year
experience, you have no business listing a lecturer unless you are also in the
teaching profession.
2.
Another common habit is to list their work colleagues.
This normally occurs when the job seeker is keeping their job search private
from management. The reality is, no sane company or HR manager will contact
your current employer unless they give you an offer and you have served for a
period of time. So, if you are job searching, it does no harm to list current
employers as a referee.
3.
Avoid family members at all cost.
A long letter from your uncle describing how energetic you were in your youth
and how skillful you are is of little or no importance. Old letters written in
the past by previous employers to "whomsoever it may concern" will
hardly interest your prospective employer, and the chances of such a letter
being read is low.
4.
Should you list a colleague as a reference?
You should only if you report to them! Surely, I wouldn't expect a colleague
who is a good friend to give an objective assessment of your ability to
deliver. That is why serious companies will bypass your friend and contact the
HR or MD directly.
5.
How many referees should you provide?
Most companies if not all will ask for three references. One can be your
immediate supervisor, the next your HR manager and finally someone from the
academic circles or from another recent company you've worked for. What if
you've worked for six companies or in different sectors? The critical thing is
to give only those referees that relate to the job in question.
6.
It's not ethical to give private details of your referees. IYou
will find too many CV's where the mobile number of the referees is provided.
The point is, CVs fall into many hands and you just never know. If you have to
give contact details, give office details including the fixed line and email.
7.
Always follow instruction when responding to job adverts.
An NGO like World Vision Kenya will require that one of your referees
should be your pastor or any other religious leader. No matter how qualified
you are, if you don't meet this requirement there are chances of you not
progressing to the next stage.
8.
What if you don't have a HR department?
In this case, the MD or any other person senior than you will do. Always ask
yourself, who can give an accurate and objective assessment of myself as a
professional?
How should you organize your references?
How should you organize your references?
Be sure to do the following at a minimum:
·
Put together a list of perhaps 4 references ideally.
Most companies will do 3 reference checks so having a spare person listed helps
if one of the other references you mentioned are hard to get hold of, if they are
on holiday, etc.
·
Choose business references who know you well
and who will honestly answer questions regarding your background in detail. Try
to avoid people who give short yes and no answers to questions if possible.
·
Let each of your references know BEFORE
they are going to be called to do a reference check for you. This way, they
won't be surprised when they get the call and you can tell them in advance
which company will be calling them, what job you are being considered for and
so that you can let them know which of your skills they will be asked about.
·
Don't forget to thank your references after you've gotten the
job.
You might need to utilize them as references again in the future so don't be a
stranger and forget to keep in touch with them.
