Referees must know your work

Update those job referees now

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 was seen in the high-profile case in 2018 of Andrew Flanagan, who was fired as a group manager at Myer, because he listed fake referees.

So what obligations do referees have in helping you secure a new gig?

They have no obligation if you were a poor performer.

But if you were a goal kicker, most referees will be happy to support you in a job application to a prospective employer or recruiter.

Referees are very important when it’s down to the final two candidates.

But in recent years, those entering the workforce have become lax with prepping their referees.

Tell the referees the job you are going for and give them a copy of your resume.

Your referee’s names, titles, where they work and contact details should be at your finger tips.

List the best or strongest referee first in the resume and then rank them in descending order.

It’s a very bad look to have out-of-date referees.

It shows you’re not on the ball.

In which case, the job will go to the other applicant.

Don’t let that happen.

Put your best foot forward

Malcolm builds expert resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles, which unleash an unbeatable business case to promote you as a ‘must have’ asset to an employer.