With fierce competition to get a job, resume referees can make or break an application.

Unreliable or fake referees can end up in court, as seen in the high-profile case in 2018 of Andrew Flanagan, who was fired as Myer Group Manager, when he listed fake referees.

So what obligations do referees have in helping their former employees secure a new gig?

They have no obligation if they were poor performers. If they were good employees, simply tell the truth.

Referees are mega important when it’s coming close to offering a candidate a role.

But in recent years, those entering the workforce are becoming lax with prepping their referees.

The most time-consuming part of writing a resume is waiting for the client to get new referees.

List the best or strongest referee first and include their title, where they work, mobile and email.

It’s a good idea to give your referees a copy of your updated resume.

It’s a bad look to have out-of-date referees. It shows the candidate is not on the ball.