Referees can literally make or break your application!  So to ensure you stay abreast with current trends, here are my top tips for using referees/references during your job search.

Number One – Don’t insert referee details in your resume

It is no longer necessary to include referees in the modern Australian résumé, unless specifically requested upfront by the employer.

If referees are not requested in the initial stages, just add ‘Referees available upon request’, within your résumé, or leave this space blank – I usually, but not always do the later.  (Just remember if it is a government job, you will have to submit your referee details along with your application, if these are requested on the application pack).

The purpose of the resume, at least at this stage of the job search process, is to generate enough interest to get you called in for an interview. By listing references on your resume, you just give the recipient of your resume another opportunity to screen you OUT before you even have a chance to sell yourself in person.  This tip extends to NOT attaching written references to your application (save these for the interview).

Now the downside of not including referees within your resume is that some employer’s might think you are hiding something.  However in my experience, it is usually better to not provide them within the résumé, as increasingly employers are accepting that it is not necessary to provide referee contact details up front.  Plus if you generate sufficient interest in your resume, you will be invited to interview AND have complete control over employer access to your referees!

Number Two – Selecting and using referees

Ensure that your referees have supervised or managed you in a work capacity.  Although traditionally a personal referee would be included, such a practice is long gone, so you would be wasting your time, providing personal referees.  Remember, while your best friend, or family member may give you glowing reviews, an employer or selection panel member will not take these references seriously (I mean you are in serious trouble, if they are don’t say wonderful things about you!).

If you are unable to provide work related referees, than the alternatives are:

• Someone who has supervised you in a volunteer role.
• A former client who can comment on your capacity in the workplace (this is useful if you are transitioning from a business you owned to returning to paid employment).
• If you are a graduate, then a lecturer or tutor who can comment on your academic performance or performance during a practical module.

Number Three – Get permission and keep them up to date

Get prior permission from your referee.  This one might seem obvious, but countless candidates fail to contact their referee and ask if it is OK to use them as a referee on an application.   To get references, simply ask!

Ensure that your referees are aware of the positions that you are applying for.  That way they have advance notification that they will be contacted in regards to a role and avoids the ‘surprise’ value.

Number Four – Get glowing references

Try to ensure your referees are going to give you a positive recommendation.  Not all referees are created equal and not all referees will necessarily give you a glowing report.  If you are in the position where you can choose your referees, then you should consider the following:

• Are they articulate and have the gift of the gab.  Or rather can they really sell you as the right person for the position?
• Are they easily contactable and reliable in regards to returning telephone calls, or completing comprehensive written reports?
• Will they be providing recommendations to other candidates applying for the same role?  If so, how will this impact on your application?
• Have you tested the waters and found out whether they will provide a favourable report?

The direct way to find out is to simply call your referee and ask him or her for advice regarding to your next career move, followed by a question relating to what they believe your strengths are in any future role.  If the conversation doesn’t go well and they can’t think of anything positive in regards to your strengths, then you know early on in the piece, that they probably won’t be giving you a glowing report.

Also keep in mind when selecting your referees that employers could be liable if they provide favourable report that is unwarranted and results in an economic loss suffered by another company, due to a failure to disclose negative information about a former employee.  What this in reality means is that many large corporations instruct employees not to provide comprehensive written references.

Remember that vague and noncommittal references and feedback are worse than none at all (e.g. did the job adequately….) 

Keep in mind that employing people is an expensive exercise, so for employers it is important to hire people that already have what people call ‘social proof’.  That is evidence that you are good and can deliver results, before they hire you.  This means it is extremely important that you have good testimonials and feedback from referees that can substantiate your claims made in your application.

Picture the typical scenario playing out across offices in Australia.  The recruiter or HR Officer makes a shortlist of resumes and then Google’s the job candidate.  They are not necessarily looking for ‘digital dirt’, but looking for clues in the online presence, with the online presence effectively being the ‘online resume’.  From tweets, blogs, web profiles, images, LinkedIn, Facebook, and status updates, a profile of the job candidate is being established.

If any dirt pops up, inappropriate photographs, presence in seedy forums or information that paints the job candidate in a negative light (e.g. a tweet complaining about work, recreational drug use, sexual or drunken weekend exploits), then the candidate will find their resume designated to the ‘do not interview pile’.

Privacy advocates might be up in arms about such a process, but the reality of the modern age is that anything on the Internet is currently fair game, even if this information about the job candidate is false, inaccurate, misleading or totally irrelevant to their ability to perform a specific job or task.

Most job seekers are unaware of the level of scrutiny they are subject to.  While many understand the importance of removing private information on resumes (e.g. date of birth, photographs, marital status or hobbies), people fail to realise the impact of disclosing personal details online.

But this is not the only way potential employers are checking candidates. While under privacy legislation, employers need to get job candidates to consent in writing, before authorising any background checks, most candidates are unaware of the extend and depth of these background checks (who reads the fine print, especially when your dream job beckons). Background checks cover everything from credit checks, criminal records, verifying qualifications and places of employment.  With an estimated 1 in 4 candidates exaggerating or blurring the lines on their resume, increasingly employers are using background checks.

Then there is the risk of a job candidate falling prey to the Internet sharks, and con artists.  With resumes posted online with personal details attached (e.g. date of birth) and jobs posted by con artists to elicit details such as bank account details, even credit card details in the promise of work in return, many Australian’s are falling prey to online criminals.

So what steps can job candidates take to reduce this invasion of privacy?

Read the fine print:  When signing a job application authorising a background check, read the fine print.  If uncertain, ask questions.

Be aware of online fraud: If unnecessary information is requested, such as bank account number, mother’s maiden name, etc. (especially online) – be very wary, as no potential employer needs that detail up front.

Google your name and get rid of digital dirt:  Google your name and check what comes up about you, and if necessary remove all material that could make a bad impression.

Review your personal settings on all social media: It is vital to review all privacy settings, so that your private life does not become public (such as Facebook and online dating sites).

Improve your online profile:  If you use Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, make sure there is nothing on these pages that could be detrimental to your reputation.  Instead use these tools to enhance your online profile, so you become the ‘must have’ job candidate.

The reality is that today’s jobseeker cannot necessarily hide from their mistakes, their criminal records, even their dating profiles and everything else in-between on the Internet.  But job candidates can take proactive steps to protect their online privacy and use the Internet to promote themselves by developing a positive ‘online footprint’.