By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

When you’re getting ready to apply for jobs, at some point, those companies will ask for professional references. Some organizations will ask for references during the initial application. Other employers will ask as they approach the final stages of their interview process.  Let's look at how you can select and communicate well with these people who you want to vouch for you and your skills.

Your professional references will speak well of you and help potential employers see your value. While personal references are generally people who can vouch for your character, professional references can share their experience with you in a work-related capacity.  Typically, you'll need the names and contact information for three people who can share their experiences with you.

When selecting your professional references, here are a few ideas on who you may want to use:

• Previous managers
• Coworkers
• Direct reports
• Contacts from professional organizations
• People with whom you've volunteered
• Someone who is referring you for a role

Overall, it's helpful to find people who have worked for you doing relevant work (paid or volunteer) and who can attest to your skills. Here are a few of the people I have used a reference in the past:

• A recent manager when I was in an individual contributor role.
• A director who was not my immediate manager but who I collaborate with on projects
• A colleague who I worked alongside when we each led different teams
• A project manager who managed a team I was on
• One of my direct reports
• Someone who I interacted with while I volunteered for a professional development organization
• Someone who was also a contractor for the same company I worked for
• A parent who also volunteered to chaperone a school event  

When I apply for jobs, I have two references I use consistently.

• One is a colleague I've worked with at three different companies. I have worked with him for over ten years. I first had him as a trainee in a class, then we both worked at another company in different departments, then he was my direct report at another company.  He is one of my go-to references because he has seen me work in several roles, can comment on me as a leader, and has first-hand experience with my instructional design skills. 
• One is a recent manager of mine.  I worked with her on a small team in a large organization. She can also attest to my skills as a learning consultant and in a technical role while commenting on how I work on project teams and meet deadlines. Having at least one former manager as a reference is essential. 

Depending on the role for which I am applying, I will choose which other reference might be the most helpful: 

• For a role focused on finance, I might include a former colleague of mine who was a  retirement coach.  He and I have collaborated on projects, created financial education materials, and fine-tuned a process for coaching individuals on retirement planning concepts. 
• For a role with a healthcare company with an opening for a technical trainer, I might include a former colleague of mine who used to work on the same team as me. Since she and I had worked together to co-facilitate classes, she could speak to the specific skills I would bring to the role. She could also refer me for that role as well. 
• For a role focusing on career coaching and resume development, I might include a board member for a professional organization where I put together and regularly deliver content on career development. 

Overall, make sure that your references can speak to your skills as they might pertain to the specific job. 

Make sure to collect the following details on your potential references so you are ready to share it with possible employers:

• First and last name
• Current company and job title
• LinkedIn profile (if available)
• Phone number
• Email address
• Background information on your relationship

Before you start giving out people's contact information, be sure to confirm they are okay with being your reference. I suggest doing this before a specific job asks for references. I usually send them a message via email, LinkedIn, or text that reads something like this:
---------------
Hi, [first name].  I'm launching my job search, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to be one of my professional references. If so, please share the following contact information details with me:

• Current company and job title
• Preferred phone number
• Preferred email address

Thanks for your help!
​​--------------

After you have their initial permission to give out their name as a reference, be sure to also inform them if they should expect someone to reach out to them. In addition to letting them know who may contact them and the type of position, it's also good to share a reminder of your previous work relationship so they aren't scrambling. Here is an example of that type of message.
​---------------
Hi, [first name]. Thanks for being willing to be my reference!

I recently applied for a [job title] position with [company name]. I am in the final stages of their interview process, and they may contact you via phone or email.

As a reminder, you and I worked together at [company] from [date range] when I was a [my job title] and you were the [their job title].  

Thanks again!
​​---------------

By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

As you begin your job search, you need to identify key characteristics of your target job. To begin, make sure you do a little soul-searching and have a clear picture of what you want from your next role. For guidance on how to go about that process, check out my article entitled, "​Career Planning: Figuring Out What You Want To Be Next." 

Here are a few of the main pieces of information that will help you move forward:

• Your target job title
• Working arrangements: hours per week, job location, remote/onsite/hybrid
• Company size and industry
• Key skills you want to use
• Problems you want to help solve

​Now, let’s figure out how to take that information and make it into a clear statement outlining key components of what you want. Remember, the purpose of this statement is to help you clearly communicate what you are looking for in your next work opportunity. The more you talk with people about what you want, the clearer the details of what you are looking for will become for you. 

If you are targeting a specific job title, your What I Want statement might look like this:

• I’m seeking a full-time technical writer role with a growing software company. I want to collaborate with product management to document new and existing product functionality. I also want to use my skills in knowledge management to optimize knowledge base searchability. 

• I’m interested in finding a contract social media marketing consultant role where I can help a small to mid-sized business create their social media presence. I want to develop and execute a business strategy to grow audience size and engagement for TikTok and Instagram.

• I’m currently seeking a full-time technical project manager position that is 100% remote or hybrid/onsite in Baltimore, MD. I would like to work in the telcom or communication industries supporting cyber security projects.

Each of these examples highlights a job title, type of organization, and even the specific skills each person would like to use in their new job. 

If you are open to multiple roles within different types of organizations, you will write your statement differently. For one, start with the soul searching you did and pinpointing key characteristics of what you want in your next job. Review your list, and prioritize which factors are the most important to you. It could be the type of company you’ll work for, the geographic area, work arrangements, or specific skills that you’ll use more.  

Focus your statement on the aspects that are most important to you. Here are a couple of examples that I have used in previous job searches:

Earlier pandemic, I used the following What I Want statement: 

• I am seeking a 100% remote full-time learning and development position. I am interested in roles with larger organizations where I can be a strong contributor and leverage my skills in needs assessment, performance consulting, change management, instructional design, and learning facilitation. I am open to roles as a strong individual contributor, managing the learning function, or managing a team. Job titles that may be appropriate for me include Learning Consultant, Learning & Development Lead, or Training Manager. 

For another job search, I used the following What I Want statement: 

• I’m searching for a Learning & Development role in the greater Omaha, NE area. I have a wide talent management skill set, and I am interested in roles that involve leading a team, player/coach, managing projects and programs, or acting as an individual contributor. My target job titles include Learning Consultant and Learning and Development Manager. I’m also open to similar job titles in the areas of L&D, sales enablement, or organizational development.

Overall, since I wasn't focused solely on one job title, I prioritized what mattered to me and went from there. Notice that I start with specifying the field, and the work arrangements that were most important to me. Then, I reviewed a few key skills I had that I wanted to use, and in one case talked mroe about the employer. Since the goal with these statements is to help communicate what you want, this is a good way to narrow it down so people are better able to help you in your job search. 

Writing a clear and concise What I Want statement can help you as you review job openings you encounter and empower you to prioritize your job applications to those that most closely align with your job search goals. You can also include a version of this statement in the following contexts: 
​

• Your cover letter
• Your LinkedIn About section (while in career transition)
• Emails to recruiters, connections, or hiring managers inquiring about roles
• Posts asking for assistance in finding a new job

Pre-pandemic, "networking" typically meant attending in-person events, shaking a few hands, and having a somewhat meaningful conversation with another human. While in-person opportunities are again plentiful, webinars continue to be popular since they are a flexible way to bring people together to learn. Be sure to think of your network during virtual events, too.

Like many people, I have attended (and delivered) approximately a bijillion online meetings, trainings, and interactive instructor-led sessions. I've been approaching these sessions with a mind towards not just attending, but also making new connections. Although the process differs from in-person interaction with people, I have managed to connect with more people (and often form more meaningful connections) than attending in-person meetings and “working the room.” As someone who is introverted by nature, and communicates effectively in writing, this was an opportunity to turn webinars into a bonus network-building exercise.

When attending a webinar, I make sure that people are able to see who I am, my full name, and a picture, if at all possible. I use the same photo I use on LinkedIn so that people associate me with that picture. I also make sure that my first and last name are present so people have a chance of being able to find me after the session--or will recognize my name. 

In addition, during the webinar, I interact during the session. This usually involves commenting in the chat when prompted--which is also an opportunity for other attendees to see my full name. During any small group interactions, I'm sure to turn my camera on so people can see my face, hear my voice, and see my name. If the presenter asks people to share out loud, I usually turn on my camera, and share my thoughts. Again, this is another opportunity for people to hear my voice, see my face, and see my name. Each of these "impressions" helps people start to get to know me at least a little bit. 

During a webinar, I often take a screenshot of the participant list and a gallery of attendees if people are on camera. Whenever possible, download the chat from the session. This helps me identify who was active in the webinar and gives me additional information on anything they might have shared during the session. I also often write handwrittern notes to help me remember attendees and their conributions during the webinar. These details can help me build a personal connection with these people later when I sent LinkedIn connection requests.

Now that LinkedIn limits the number of personalized connection requests those with the basic membership receive each month, sending everyone a personalized connection request might not be an option for you.

In those cases, here are a few other ways to show your value to a potential connection: 

• Send a non-personalized request right after the event ends. This way, people may associate you with the webinar you just attended.
• Take a moment to react to and/or comment on recent LinkedIn posts made by your potential connection. This way, they may recognize your name and be more likely to accept your connection request.
• Make sure your headline is descriptive and up to date. This way, when people receive a non-personalized connection request, they at least have a better sense of who you are from your headline.

How do you further nurture that relationship? Here are a few ideas.

• React to other people's posts.
• Comment on other people's posts with your insights.
• Share someone's post to your feed and @mention them to thank them for sharing the information.
• Send a quick message to a connection sharing helpful information they will appreciate. 
• Congratulate people on their career milestones and successes.
• Wish them a happy holiday/Friday/weekend on occasion.

After connecting with people initially, be sure to continue to nurture those connections. Posting useful content or occasionally messaging them are two ways you can do that. Ideally, you can add value to the relationship before you are in a position where you need to ask those individuals for help.