'JobTips' written by Dawn Richards for the Courier Mail's CareerOne Section on 20 February 2005

Choosing and managing your referees

You may have written an outstanding application and WOWED the selection panel at the interview but there’s one last hurdle to overcome before you get the job. You have to pass the reference checking stage, which is usually the last stage of the selection process. It’s absolutely vital to choose and manage your referees with the utmost care.

Here are a few tips on choosing and managing your referees:

1.Treat your referees like gold! Keep them informed about your applications and sincerely thank them for their efforts. They have the power to ‘sell’ you to the Selection Panel with an enthusiastic response or ‘kill’ your chances with a simple ‘no comment’.

2.Choose referees who know you well and who can vouch for your performance at work. The biggest mistake applicants make in choosing referees is to ask people who have senior positions in the organisation (but who barely know them). Your referees need to be able to comment on your work performance.

3.Supply more than the nominated number of referees

You are usually asked to nominate two referees, but it’s a good idea to nominate three (or even four) just in case one of them is unavailable.

4. Make it easy to contact your referees

Reference checking is time-consuming for selection panel members. Make it easy for them to contact your referees by supplying mobile numbers and email addresses for people who you know are difficult to contact.

4.For some higher level positions, referees are required to provide written responses to the selection criteria. The Position Description will clearly state if this is necessary. Ask your referees if they are able to meet this requirement before nominating them, as it may take them many hours to complete the task.

5.For public service positions, only the referees you nominate will be contacted. However, if you haven’t nominated your immediate supervisor or manager, you may be advised by selection panel members that you need to do so.

6.Don’t choose family or friends as referees. Aunty Mary may love you to death, but she won’t help you get a job unless she can comment on your work as a supervisor, colleague, supplier or such. Even then, she won’t be as credible as someone outside of the family.

7.Nominate members of the clergy only if it is relevant to the advertised role. For example, if you are applying for a position as a teacher in a Catholic School, it would be appropriate to provide your Parish Priest as a referee.

This information comes from the new book, Selection Criteria Toolkit. For further information or to purchase the book online, click on www.smartstartmarketing.com.au