Work References

What are the references? Who should I ask to be a reference?

References are people who can talk about your work experience, work habits, character and skills. You should choose your references carefully.

As part of the job search process, you may be asked to provide the names of people whom a potential employer can contact to find out more about you. It is a good idea to choose people who can speak or write favourably about you and your work. This will improve your chances of getting the job.

Providing appropriate local references can be a challenge for newcomers. If you don’t have work experience in Canada, you may have difficulty providing this type of reference. Similarly, if your recent work is unrelated to the type of job you are looking for, your references may not be able to speak to the skills needed for the position.

Who would be a good reference?

Work References

Many employers prefer work references. If your work references are all from another country, you might include at least one on your list as long as they speak English fluently, are accessible through email or Skype, and have some understanding of the position you are applying for.

If possible, you should choose someone who has supervised you professionally or who has worked closely with you.  A manager, supervisor or even a co-worker from a casual job may be able to speak to your work habits or transferable skills (the skills that you can take from one job to another). They can say, for example, that you are reliable, friendly, organized, and a good problem solver. Other references could include someone who is aware of your work habits or skills through your volunteer or community work.

Academic References

Academic references are also acceptable and may even be preferable, depending on the situation. If you have been to school recently in Canada, consider asking your teacher to be a reference for you, particularly if you think they can speak positively about your skills and character.

Reference letters are incredibly important for all Canadian employers. Reference letters are written by your current or previous employer about you. These references are a written representation of your work ethic, skills, abilities and qualifications. They should indicate how long you held the role or roles at that company and if
you changed positions due to promotion.

Great reference letters are a few paragraphs in length. The shorter the letter, the less impressive it is and doesn’t
really offer your interviewer any information about you.
Letters of employment are just that…they state what, when, where…they do not offer anything else and should
never be used as a ‘letter of reference’. Letters of reference are there to offer the reader inside info as to how awesome you were at a current or previous place of employment and wet their appetite to know more about you!!!! Plan ahead and get your references in order, before you need them. It will save time scrambling to put together a list at the last minute. These letters of reference usually take longer than the entire process of obtaining a working visa…so get organized and request these in advance!!!

• These reference letters are in letter form and should always be on company letterhead or have a company stamp on them to legitimize the letter, otherwise, it is easy for a reference checker to assume someone random has written something lovely about you. No company letterhead? Try and photocopy a company business card on the bottom of the letter somewhere.

• Two letters of reference must be provided to your Canadian employer. It would be best if you could obtain reference letters from different employers…gives a wider scope of your talents and skills. If you have only had one employer…then you need to obtain a character reference from an individual that has known you for a long time.

**Regardless of your employment history…it is mandatory to provide two letters. Listing references on the bottom of your resume or phone references will not be accepted!!!
There is lots of information via the Internet…Google ‘reference or character reference letters’.
*** SCHOOL REFERENCES:
You are attempting to show your interviewer that you are a mature, strong and independent individual ready for this overseas experience. Using a school reference, regardless of how ‘rock star’ it is, will only remind your interviewer that you are young enough to use a school reference and undermine your interview. DO NOT USE A SCHOOL INTERVIEW As always…in doubt…ask either Jake or Julia.

Make It Easy For Your References

Once you have three or four relevant people – if available – who’ve agreed to provide testimonials, your task is to assist them by coaching them and reminding them of why you’re the ideal candidate for this new job you’re pursuing. Get in touch with each reference as soon as you can once you’ve been offered a job and have given out their contact info. Let them know that you are truly interested in this potential assignment and that their assistance would be really appreciated. Mention something toward the effect of how you’d like to make it as easy as possible for them to fulfill their duty, so would they mind if you gave them a few pointers on what they might say about you.

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Preparing your references

You should ask someone if they will be a reference for you before you give their name to a potential employer. If they agree, let them know what job you are applying for, how you are qualified, and give them a copy of your résumé. For academic references, 

Who can be a work reference and who can’t

References can come from former or current managers, supervisors, co-workers, colleagues, clients, suppliers, instructors or classmates, in that order of priority.

The rule of thumb is that whoever you select has to be somebody who has either worked with you or has observed you at work for at least two years. This means you can choose somebody from your home country because chances are you will have more people there than in Canada.

Canadian references can be obtained through volunteering, internships, networking, studying at Canadian institutions and getting involved with the community as a whole. Make sure you start doing all these things as soon as you arrive, as they will help you to build confidence, will provide you with Canadian experience and local references, and will allow you to navigate the system easier.

Another guideline is that the individuals have to be available for when the employer calls/emails, and they need to be comfortable answering the reference check questions, so it is much better if you select somebody you trust and with whom you have a good relationship.

People not accepted as a reference or who may not perform well and may hurt your selection process are: family members or friends, and people you have known for a very short period of time and/or with whom you don’t have a good relationship.

When selecting your references, it is much better to provide a mix of home-country and Canadian references. Not having any references from your country may sound suspicious to your potential employer. And not having anybody from Canada may tell them you are too new or have not been proactive and involved in Canadian issues yet (therefore, they may assume you “lack Canadian experience!”).

How the process works

Once you have the list of potential references, start calling or emailing them prior to applying for any job. You can say “Hi [name], how are you doing? You know, I am in Canada now and I am looking for a job. Employers may need a few references to check on my suitability to the job, and as we (worked/studied) together, I was wondering if you feel comfortable being a reference.” If they say yes, ask them if they have a particular day/hour when they prefer to be called (considering any time zone differences), any language choice (may need an interpreter), or whether they prefer to be contacted via email.

To help them be prepared, send a list of potential questions in advance. You can actually answer some of those questions for them; this will save them time and help them to remember good things about you.

A list of three to five references needs to be ready to hand to employers after the interview (never with the resumé or during the application process).

Note: don’t forget to keep in touch with the people who are acting as your references. Send them “thank you” emails or connect with them regularly to let them know about your job search. And don’t forget about them after getting the job!

Using letters of reference

Many newcomers come with a pile of great reference letters, and feel appalled when employers don’t even look at them. Letters are great when they are updated (not older than six months), have the company’s letterhead and are signed by a supervisor or the company’s owner. However, more and more employers want to talk to a real person and compare the information they see in the letter, as letters may be incomplete or too old.

The best use for these letters is the portfolio. Create a professional portfolio with quality copies (colour if possible) of your certificates, job descriptions, reference letters and summary of skills, organized by time and company and bring this binder along with your resumé to interview. Make sure to have all the originals safe at home.

A good sign

When an employer asks for references, this is usually a good sign. Most employers have 80 per cent of their hiring decision made before reference checking, so this step is important. A bad reference can make or break a good candidate. Follow up with the employer after one week: have they made a decision? Where in the process is your application? Do they have any feedback for you? Has the references-check been made?