How to choose and prep your references
Choose references who saw your work closely and recently, such as a former manager, a senior colleague or a client, and always ask before listing them. When an employer asks for them, send each reference the job posting, two or three points you hope they can speak to, and a note of when to expect a call. Thank them afterward and tell them the outcome.
Why it matters: A prepared reference speaks to exactly what the new job needs.
Steps
- List people who supervised or worked closely with you in the last few years.
- Ask each: would you be comfortable being a reference for roles like this?
- Confirm their current title, phone and email.
- When a company asks, send each reference the posting and two or three examples worth mentioning.
- Tell them who will call and roughly when.
- Thank them afterward and share the result.
Common mistakes
- Listing someone without asking.
- Choosing a famous name who barely knows your work.
- Not warning references that a call is coming.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to choose and prep your references
What to say
Choose references who saw your work closely and recently, such as a former manager, a senior colleague or a client, and always ask before listing them. When an employer asks for them, send each reference the job posting, two or three points you hope they can speak to, and a note of when to expect a call. Thank them afterward and tell them the outcome.
What to show
- List people who supervised or worked closely with you in the last few years.
- Ask each: would you be comfortable being a reference for roles like this?
- Confirm their current title, phone and email.
- When a company asks, send each reference the posting and two or three examples worth mentioning.
- Tell them who will call and roughly when.
- Thank them afterward and share the result.
Check question
Who makes the best reference?
Answer: Someone who saw your work closely and recently. Specific firsthand examples carry weight.
Your checklist
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Related skills
Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .