By Caroline M. Cole
Depending on the position they seek, applicants may be asked to provide references. Sometimes those references remain on stand-by, fielding calls and answering questions about the applicant if and when necessary; in other cases, they may write letters of recommendation for the applicant’s file. Yet regardless of the means by which a reference speaks about a candidate’s abilities, applicants need to be strategic in identifying and soliciting references to both complement and enhance their application.
When deciding whom to solicit for a reference, applicants often turn to the most important people they know in the profession or industry, sometimes without considering what, if anything, those individuals could say on their behalf. Evoking the honor by association argument—which suggests the applicant must be honorable because he or she associates with well-known, reputable people—such applicants assume that if they can get someone with name-brand recognition to support their candidacy, they would have a better chance of securing a position, getting into an academic program, gaining access to particular resources, and so on.
Aside from the fact that such pro hominum arguments are logical fallacies—emphasizing the authority making the appeal (the referral, in this case) rather than, perhaps, the evidence for why the candidate is qualified for the position—such appeals can be risky if name recognition is the primary, or only reason an applicant is asking someone to serve as a reference.
Consider, for example, what people could say about prospective applicants they may see on occasion, or even on a regular basis, but with whom they have had few interactions beyond social or professional niceties: they always smiled and said “hello” in the hallways… they dressed well… they ate lunch at their desk… they attended lecture… they showed up at meetings… they submitted assignments… their name appeared on a report…
While such comments are not necessarily problematic, neither do they provide an argument for why an applicant deserves consideration. In addition, they’re not compelling reasons for eminent individuals to risk their own reputation to vouch for an applicant of whom they have minimal knowledge. As such, it’s no surprise that organizations have received referrals like the following:
Dear Hiring Manager: Chris Doe worked as the Marketing Division Manager for my company from August 2011 to November 2012. Sincerely, Famous Person X
• • •
Dear Admission Committee: Pat Schneider was a student in Economics 10 during the Spring 2013 and earned an A in the course. Sincerely, Famous Professor X
Granted, it would be better for individuals with little to no knowledge of a candidate’s competency or character to decline the applicant’s request for a recommendation but, since that’s not always the case, applicants should bear in mind what could happen if they solicit authorities who may not have enough experience to say anything meaningful about their abilities.
Name dropping can be advantageous during the application process, and getting referrals from people recognized in the field can open doors for an applicant—but only if the person offering the referral can speak knowledgeably and authoritatively about the applicant. So, rather than soliciting people to serve as a reference simply because they are important in the field or industry, applicants should consider whether those individuals can, in fact, speak credibly and persuasively about the skills and abilities they want to promote in their application.
Equally important, applicants should be cautious about asking someone to serve as a referral, or to write a recommendation letter simply because the person has had opportunities to observe their work, for some observations might not serve the applicant.
What, for example, might a supervisor or coworker say about an employee who doesn’t review work before sending it out to a client, who seldom volunteers for or initiates projects, who is reticent about helping coworkers or sharing resources, who does not remain apprised of team or project objectives, who maintains an erratic schedule, who takes too long to complete projects, who doesn’t follow up on tasks, who resists training and feedback, who uses company resources for personal reasons, who makes excuses when things go wrong, who is perpetually late for meetings, who does not demonstrate basic skills sets for the position, who appears brusque with customers or coworkers, who misses targets, who complains about work needing to be done, who gets average performance evaluations, and so on.
Or what could a teacher say about a student who does not finish assignments, who misses class, who nods off during discussions, who frequently asks for extensions, who seems overwhelmed by basic concepts in the course or field, who does not follow directions, who does not attend office hours, who is reluctant to explore new ideas, who seldom participates in class activities, who focuses more on getting the work done than on doing it well, who submits inconsistent work, who complains about grades, and so forth.
Certainly there may be reasons explaining any or all such actions, but a referral who has witnessed one or more of these actions might include that information either for retribution or because the referral feels the need to provide favorable and negative feedback about the candidate to appear fair. Some applicants offset this concern by declining confidential recommendations, thereby guaranteeing only nice things are said about them, but few referrals would give an authentic evaluation if they knew the applicant could review their comments. And hiring managers and school admission committees recognize this dilemma, prompting them to give little credibility to the recommendations an applicant hands them or could otherwise access.
By understanding that you might not always be able to know or control what a referral says about you to a prospective employer, graduate program, or other entity needing a recommendation, you can be more deliberate in identifying and soliciting references which enhance your application. The following discussion can help in that endeavor.
Identify individuals who can compliment your application materials.
Thinking about the work you’d like to do in the short- and long-term, you should start listing people who have seen you perform equivalent tasks. An obvious starting point would be individuals who have seen you do comparable work in comparable forums. If you have not done such work or have yet to participate in such forums, you might then consider individuals who have a familiarity with the skills that would help you perform the work you’d like to do. Employers, supervisors, clients and customers, professors, advisors, mentors, and industry professionals would be appropriate for this list, providing they can talk knowledgeably, fairly, and favorably about the talents, abilities, experiences, and so on you would be bringing to the positions you seek.
Ideally, the resulting list will offer a combination of current and former associates. After all, citing only current associates can raise questions as to whether you have burned bridges in your previous endeavors, while listing only former associates may raise questions about whether you’ve made an impact in your present employment.
Such balance can be harder when you’re limited to one or two references, when the position you seek restricts the type of recommendations you must submit, or when you’re seeking new opportunities without your present employer’s knowledge. Even so, as you list people who can speak genuinely and constructively about your abilities, keep in mind that assembling a variety of references can be strategic, for not only could the mix of commentary demonstrate different ways you have been able to apply particular skills, but it may also introduce additional, complimentary abilities that you could bring to a position, even as your references collectively reinforce a core set of talents.
In generating this list, there are groups of individuals you should be cautious to list. One such group are personal, non-work references. These individuals may like you for any number of reasons, and some of those reasons might even address competencies and characteristics you could use on the job or in another professional forum, but hiring manager and admission committees want to know if they should pay to have you incorporate those elements in forums where clients, products, services, reputation, and so on are at stake. So, unless someone has employed you or otherwise has been in a position to evaluate you in a formal capacity, you might reconsider whether to offer that person up as a reference.
Similarly, you might use caution when listing individuals with whom you have worked, but who have since become friends. Some industries or companies may value such references, but others may argue that friendship compromises objective evaluation.
Prepare your case.
Once you’ve listed people who could comment on your professional experiences and abilities, you then need to identify the individuals who could best address the skills you want to emphasize in your applications and solicit potential referrals accordingly. For example, if one person on your list has had more opportunities to observe you engage in particular work, employ particular skills, develop particular experience, and so on, you might ask that individual to emphasize that information and ask other potential references to highlight different abilities.
Making such distinctions can seem time consuming at first—especially if you do not have many prospects to begin with—but it can make it easier to secure references. After all, someone who may be cautious or even unwilling to give a categorically favorable reference may agree to speak favorably about specific competencies or characteristics you may need to demonstrate. Yet regardless of whom you decide to solicit for referrals, you must help prospective references understand what you’re asking of them.
To do so, you should prepare to explain or even write up a brief explanation the industry, position, or program you seek to enter; the skills and abilities the organization(s) seeks in candidates; and where, how, and why the person you are soliciting for a referral can speak to those abilities. Being prepared to offer a copy of your résumé and—depending on the context—a copy of your latest performance review, a synopsis of a project, or an outline of other details also can help the prospective reference quickly and easily recall your contributions in their recommendations.
Formally solicit prospective referrals for a good recommendation.
Having identified possible referrals, you should ask those individuals if they could write a good letter of recommendation for your file, or otherwise provide a good recommendation to those who might call on your behalf.
In doing so, you might begin with a brief explanation of what you’re looking to do; the training, experience, and characteristics that would help you succeed in that work; and where, how, and why your experiences (as observed by the potential referral) could help make that case. You might also note the type of references you are seeking to make that case (e.g., people who could talk on the phone with an organization’s representative as necessary, those who could write and submit a letter of recommendation to the organization or to a central service by a particular date). After providing this context, you should then ask if the person on your list would be able and willing to provide a “good recommendation” on your behalf, and then pay attention to the person’s response.
If making the request by email and there’s no reply, you might send a follow up or even call to see if the person has received your message; if there’s still no response, you might consider whether the person is giving an answer in not replying. If making your request during a conversation, you should pay attention to any hesitation in getting a definitive yes; facial expressions may also provide clues if you’re making the request in person. Any reticence you find should prompt an offer to let the person decline your request:
“It’s okay if you’re able to provide or serve as a reference at this time. I have a few other people lined up to ask, but thought you were best able to discuss my abilities to…”
Such offers can be sufficient to generate a conversation that might help you strengthen your case for getting the person to agree to serve as a reference, or it can direct you to look elsewhere, but to push hesitant people into giving you a referral could do more harm than good for your application. Therefore, if people on your list signal that they cannot readily offer a good recommendation, thank them for their consideration and move on to find someone who can.
Finally, it is imperative to get people’s permission to list them as referrals and to let them know when their names and contact information are being listed or otherwise distributed with your application materials. Even for those who have agreed to serve as a reference in the past may need reminders if they may be called upon to speak about your credentials in the near future. To ambush people with surprise calls that ask them to talk favorably about a candidate who either didn’t ask permission to list them as a referral or hasn’t talked with them for months or years about their career ambitions can be detrimental to an otherwise compelling applicant.
Follow up.
While asking someone to field calls from others to talk about your qualifications on the phone may require minimal preparation, asking someone to write a letter for your application(s) may take time, so you should make sure you give prospective referrals sufficient time to complete the letter; two weeks is standard but, depending on the case you’re asking someone to make on your behalf, offering three weeks or more would give people time to craft a letter alongside other responsibilities they may have.
Of course one difficulty in giving people too much advanced notice is that they may delay writing the letter and, ultimately, forget about it all together. Therefore, you can help your referral keep the task more in the forefront with a professional follow-up.
One way to do so is by following up with hard copies of materials that could help the person make your case to someone else. For example, you might provide a copy of your résumé; a brief description of the position or program to which you are applying; an outline of tasks you’re asking the person to address, as well as references to work you have performed under the referral’s guidance that demonstrate those skills; guidelines for submitting the recommendation; and so on. These materials could also be of use to someone who may be providing a recommendation over the phone.
Another way to follow up on your request it is to call or e-mail the person midway between your having made the request and your needing the recommendation on file to see if the person needs any additional information to help write the document. Not only would such a follow-up remind your referral of the upcoming deadline, but it would give that person an opportunity to request additional materials that might not have been a consideration during your original conversation.
Ultimately, you are wanting to make it as easy as possible for someone to present the best case for your application. And, in cases where you may not be able to confirm the submission of a letter on your behalf, a follow-up might help you know the status of your recommendation and, if necessary, look for alternative referrals should your original reference—for whatever reason—no longer be able to accommodate your request.
Develop and maintain the professionalism going forward.
Once your referrals have provided recommendations for your application, you should keep them apprised of your work going forward. For example, every few months you might send a brief e-mail updating your referrals on your work and progress, maintaining professional connections even as you establish and reinforce your own career path. Such updates would certainly make it easier for these referrals to update any recommendation they might be called upon to provide in the future but, as importantly, they recognize the person’s efforts in your success, and that can be the most important way you can say “Thank you.”
Working toward Areté…
To start working toward this effort today, download the “Securing References to Promote Your Talents and Abilities” .pdf, or let us know your system for finding and soliciting people to serve as a reference for your applications. Then use the comment space below to share your suggestions and success.
