How to be a Great Reference
July 31, 2009 by Allison Boyer
Filed under Jobs
At the end of your resume, you probably have listed two or three people the potential client or employer can call as references. If you have a stable of writers working under you or work closely with an editor, however, you could find the tables turned – you may be asked to serve as a reference.
Last spring, I offered an internship position for the first time. I found a great writer to work with me, and now he’s on the job market, looking for an office position rather than going the freelance route. He asked me to serve as a reference, and I happily agreed. Here are some tips you can use to be a great reference for people who have worked under you:
When someone calls you as a reference, will you be ready? Image: sxc.hu
- Don’t agree unless you can provide a great reference for him or her.
If the potential employer calls you and you have nothing but bad things to say, that’s not really fair to the job hunter. Be honest from the start – if you can’t give a rave review of his or her work, give the person a chance to find a better reference.
- Be completely honest.
Just because you give a good overall review of the person’s work doesn’t mean that you have to answer every question as though the person was a writing god. We all have faults. You owe it to the other party to be honest with your answers. Emphasize the good points, but don’t totally shy away from the bad points.
- Prepare for the “interview.”
Do a good job as a reference. You owe it to the other person if he or she did a good job under you! By preparing for the interview you’ll sound professional on the phone and you won’t forget any important points. How should you prepare? Make sure you you know the exact dates of employment, have positive stories about the person in question ready to tell, and find out a little about the company that will potentially be calling you.
I’m happy to report that just moments before posting this piece, my former intern called me to let me know he got the job! I’m not surprised; he’d be a great addition to any office.
