Preparing your references

You references are important to you for two very deliberate and different reasons:

1. Recruiters & Hiring Managers all want and need to speak to your references
2. If you have good references, they can help you network & connect on your job search journey.

Most recruiters or hiring managers will ask you for 4-5 good professional references.

There is more to do than just

Preparing your References

These individuals should be your supervisors, bosses, managers, customers, etc. Anyone who can clearly and without reservation speak to your skills, talents, accomplishments and passion relevant to the position(s) you are applying for.

If the recruiters only want to speak to a few, I encourage you to have 8-10 people picked to provide your references.

These folks can also help you to network, connect and have conversations that can help you during this job search journey.

Here are a few other things these folks can do for you:

1. Provide deliberate, focused and strong referrences when they are called about you.
2. Provide you with written recommendations relevant to the type of work you are looking to do.
3. Provide LinkedIn recommendations regarding the work you have done for/with them in the past.
4. Endorse you on LinkedIn for relevant Skills and Expertise that you have
5. Introduce you to people who may be able to help you on this career transition journey
6. Review your resume and LinkedIn Profile (when you politely ask for the help) and give guidance relevant to your specific industry and position

Another interesting point about Preparing your references: With the expansion of LinkedIn (& other social media platforms), you may not know who will be called for a reference.  A good reference may be someone from your past including managers, supervisors, etc. It could be useful to say hello and maybe chat with as many of your past supervisors, peers, etc as you can in the event they get a call.

Preparing your References is not about just listing them on a piece of paper