Five Tips to Get a Great Personal Reference
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Author: Lucie goulet
Lucie Goulet is the Founder and CEO of Women in Foreign Policy and of The Inclusive Branding Agency, where she works with clients on the intersection of marketing and diversity, equity and inclusion.
As the Founder of Women in Foreign Policy, one of my greatest privileges is to act as a Reference for our amazing volunteers. It’s also something I’ve been doing for over 10 years in my “day” jobs in corporate.
The following advice to successfully asking someone to provide you with a reference is based on this experience as well as conversations I’ve had with colleagues and some of the awesome womxn we’ve featured on the site. This is primarily relevant for UK and US job markets, as this is where I have been providing most references for.
1. Double-check With the Person Ahead of Writing Them Down as a Referee
The most important thing when it comes to getting a reference is to choose the right person based on the position or course or fellowship etc you might be applying for. For instance, if the reference is going to be a series of questions on technical skills, there’s no point asking someone who never saw you implement those skills. Instead, you might ask them to be a character reference.
As you start your career, the pool to choose your referee from might be more limited. If you know there is a mismatch between the skills the reference asks for and your experience while working with your referee, explain this to them. You can show them how you’ve built or demonstrated these skills elsewhere and ask if they would be comfortable providing your reference based on this.
Even if someone said they would always be happy to provide a reference for you, always ask them before including them in your application. Life changes and the window within which you need the reference might also be one when they have to meet an all-consuming deadline, their life situation might be stressful at the time, etc. No point including someone who won’t come through for you.
2. Provide As Much Information as Possible
When asking someone if they are happy to provide a reference, always include:
A link to the job description/fellowship/course, etc you’re applying for
The kind of reference expected - will it be a letter? A phone call? A questionnaire? A mix of all these things? Sometimes, the application process might not specify, which is bad practice on the HR department’s part.
What the timeframe to supply the reference will be
Also ask the person to confirm their details, especially the email and phone number they’d like you to include. The easiest way is to say “these are the details I wanted to include, are they still correct?”.
3. Confirm Once You’ve Sent Your Application
Let your referee know what you said in terms of how you know them, including the job title you had, when you worked together and how you described your position. If you know it, also confirm the email the reference request will come from -- this is so they can keep an eye in their spam folder.
And also let them know if you decided not to apply so that they know not to expect a reference request.
4. Draft the Reference Letter - Or At Least Send Bullet Points
This is the second most important thing when it comes to getting the right reference. Drafting your own reference might seem icky, or it might feel lazy on the part of your referee, but it’s the best way to have exactly what you want to be included in there and to get it done on time. If you’re not sure the skills, experience and traits the referee should include, it is probably a sign that they weren’t the right person to ask in the first place.
A good draft focuses on the skills, experience and traits you demonstrated while interacting with your referee, which make you a good fit for your next position. It is not vague, nor is it a rehash of your CV - make sure you speak specifically of the time when you worked or studied with your referee.
See it as a starting point. I never send the drafts I receive word for word, but it is useful to understand what you want to highlight and to jog your referee’s memory.
5. Let Your Referee Know How It Goes
It’s good networking. If you got the job, your referee will be very happy for you and if you didn’t, they might offer help as you keep looking.
Concluding Thoughts
I know this might sound like a bit of a process but by ticking off all those boxes, you do increase your chances of getting your great reference in on time. Good luck with it and your job search!
Edited by Ashvini Rae and Lauren Matthews
Published 16th February 2021