Five reference tips for job search success!

After I completed my first professional job search, I likened the experience to taking an additional course in graduate school.  You have intense amounts of research to do, lots of information and websites to read, a strong need for lots of pens and highlighters, and you have to some how make sense and digest all of what you are gaining through your search.  Now that I have been through several more searches, there’s a few things I’ve learned along the way and want to offer on to other searchers.

Often times what I find as both a reference for others and a job seeker for my references is that we don’t provide enough information or utilize our references enough to make our search go even more positively.  Below you will find just a few tips and tricks to help utilize one branch of your search process even more efficiently and effectively.

1) Make sure your reference is a positive reference, and is available to you/your search.

One of the first pieces of advice I was ever given when I entered into my very first search many moons ago was to make sure that the people you are asking to be a reference will agree to be positive references.  A reference can be your supervisor, a professor, or a mentor that worked with you during an internship.  But, just because you think you did a great job for them doesn’t mean that they will necessarily speak glowingly of you in the important phone call.  A few years ago I asked someone to be a reference for me and I followed their “yes” up with a “can you agree to be a positive reference for me?” and the answer I got was “no”.  The two good things that came from that were: 1) An opportunity for me to talk openly and honestly with this person about conflicts and unresolved issues (and miscommunication) that we had in the past and resolve them and 2) An understanding that just because someone is above you or around you in a flowchart doesn’t mean they would be your best spokesperson.

Above all else, make sure when you ask someone (yes, you have to ask….don’t assume) to be a reference, make sure it is positive.  In fact, be brave and ask them if they would share some of the things they would say about you just so you know!  Those positive strokes and things they would highlight about you can often times be good ammunition and examples to use in your initial interviews for a position.

Also, make sure when you are confirming a reference, be sure that they can be committed and available through your entire search.  I served as a mentor to a staff member in the past who found out that they were not progressing in a university’s process because one of their references would not return phone calls and emails and therefore their application became incomplete.  Be sure you have appropriate contact information for your reference and make sure they know that this process could last several months to several years for you!

2) Send regular updates to your references to keep them updated.

One of the tools that I use to keep my own group of references “in the know” about my current search is by sending them periodic emails with updates.  In my last search, I had applied to a wide breadth of positions and universities, so I created a document that listed a lot of information for my references to utilize in a “quick call” manner.  In this document, I:

• Listed all of the position titles and universities at the beginning, like a table of contents
• Created a separate page or two for each position
• Bolded the position title and university at the top for easy finding
• Copied the exact job posting/description
• Included the date that I applied, and any information I had about their process

As I progressed in several processes, I would include that information in the document.  In the body of the email that I sent to my references, I would highlight specific updates (things like just completed phone interviews, placement conference attendance, etc).  Having an “all-in-one” document like this allowed my references to have a handy go-to guide for my search process.  Before returning a phone call from a potential employer, they could review the actual job I was applying for so that they could better gear their comments towards it.

Just like any other business email or document, make sure that you have it geared toward the audience/recipient.  Your references are very busy people, so do what you can to highlight important information in bold, put questions that you have for them in red, or underline important deadlines so they stand out for their viewing.  You want to make it easy to be your reference.

3) Recognize that references and mentors don’t have to be (and sometimes shouldn’t) be the same people.

In future posts, I will talk more about what it means to be a mentor.  It should be noted in brief, though, that mentors aren’t necessarily references, and references aren’t necessarily mentors.

When you are doing a job search, you want your references to be knowledgeable advocates for you as an employee.  You want them to have in-depth knowledge of your skills, strengths, areas of improvement, and unique aspects you will bring to your future employers.  You also want these people to be knowledgeable about our field and be able to speak intelligently about the positions you are applying for.  Ideally, your references should include a group of “been there, done that” folks who have been in the positions you are applying to, allowing them to not only personally but also professionally relate.

Mentors, on the other hand, may not be people who are knowledgeable about our field or education.   Mentors sometimes are people who were our club advisors from high school, a pastor from church, or the 4-H leader from your hometown.  These are people who probably have longer term knowledge of us as a person, but may not have the skills and professional base knowledge to be effective references.

The same can be said when I am doing reference checks for potential Community Adviser/Resident Assistant candidates.  While I appreciate hearing from a hometown pastor who has known you from age 5, it is more helpful for me to hear from your professor who has supervised you in your lab position or from your current Community Adviser.  These people know the environment, and often times, the position you are applying for therefore can be more effective in advocating for you as a candidate.

4) Utilize your references for preparation.

One of the things I hear most often from my current references is “let me know how I can help!”.  A good reference wants to not only be there to take a phone call and speak on your behalf, but they want to be able to help guide you through the entire process.

Again, your references have probably “been there, done that” so they can offer a substantial amount of advice and experience that is from an insider’s perspective.  It is important to remember that you references represent you in the job search process, just as much as you represent them/their university.  The way you present yourself to your potential employers also helps them determine how they view your previous institution.

I cannot stress enough to utilize the help that your references will and can offer.  Do this through in-person meetings, phone conversations, email exchanges, Skype conversations, etc.  Run through a list of practice interview questions with them.  Show them your interview clothing choices (I asked one of my references  to help me shop for one of my suits with me because she has a great sense of business fashion!).

If you are at a distance from your references, as I am, send frequent and pointed emails to your references.  Don’t just update them on your process, but make sure that you are offering your thoughts, questions, and concerns with them.  As I highlighted in #3, I bolded out a few questions that I was desiring some feedback on before a recent interview, so I could get some guidance and advice from them.  This advice turned out to be very helpful during my interview.

5) Listen to what they have to say, even if you don’t want to hear it.

Your references are a group of 3-6 professionals who have strong, detailed information about you as an employee.  These are people who have known you for several years, and hopefully have seen you through both success and struggle.  They know you as both an individual and person, but also as part of a team and a growing professional.  These may even be people who you’ve shared personal aspects of your life with.

Because of this in-depth knowledge about you, these people can often times have an incredible objective viewpoint on your job search.  They can help you see beyond your emotional and personal excitement about a position and help ask particular questions to guide you in the right direction.

References can help ask tough questions during a search like: “Is that REALLY the type of department you want to be in?” or “What kind of challenges do you think you’d have in your transition to that university?” or “Will you be able to find a community supportive of your hobbies there?”

Listen to your references when they ask you those tough questions.  You may not want to hear the advice they have to offer, or the questions they have…but again, these are the people who know you best.

Mickey Fitch is a higher education professional who has crafted her career around the residence life experience on the college campus.  Mickey loves to tell stories and help students make the most of their residential experience on campus.  A native to the upper Midwest, Mickey is currently undergoing a job search to find her opportunity to serve in residence life.  On the personal side, Mickey is an avid fisherman and outdoorswoman and is currently engaged in a life-changing health and fitness journey!  You can learn more about her at mickeyfitch.weebly.com.