Vocations · Professional Development

A good reference
knows the call is coming.

References speak best when they know the role, know what to stress and are not surprised by the call. Record each person with what they can speak to, when you asked and every application you gave them to. The organizer counts recent use and flags the posting not sent, the ask with no answer and the person never told the outcome.

Add a referenceWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Job search kit, $29 for 34 items.

Your references

The worked example is made up: a former manager given to three employers this fall, a professor who agreed and a coworker who has not answered. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Vocations · Professional Development$5

What you finish with
A record per reference: name, role, relationship, years known, what they can speak to, when you asked, their answer, each application they were given to and five courtesy steps. Counts days since asking, uses and uses in the last 90 days; counts agreed references against three; flags listing without permission, unanswered asks, heavy use, applications they did not know about and points not shared.
Who it is for
Job seekers, students applying for internships, scholarships and programs, and professionals changing roles.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per reference. Prints one reference, every reference in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Job search kit ($29) and the Vocations Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Professional Development space in Caveat Vocations.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add each person who could speak to your work.
  2. Write what each can speak to specifically.
  3. Ask permission and record the answer.
  4. Log every application you give them to, and send them the posting.
  5. Thank them and tell them how it turned out.

Add a reference

A strong list

A strong reference listWhoA manager who saw yourwork up close.A coworker or client forteamwork.A teacher or professorif you are early in acareer.What they knowThe role you areapplying for.Two or three pointsworth stressing.That a call may becoming this week.AfterA thank-you after eachcall or letter.The outcome, good orbad.A break if they havebeen called often.A strong reference listWhoA manager who saw your work up close.A coworker or client for teamwork.A teacher or professor if you are early in acareer.What they knowThe role you are applying for.Two or three points worth stressing.That a call may be coming this week.AfterA thank-you after each call or letter.The outcome, good or bad.A break if they have been called often.
A reference who knows the role and expects the call gives a specific, confident answer, which is what employers listen for.

Asking

Ask directly whether they can give you a strong reference; a lukewarm yes is worse than a no. Send your resume, the posting and a few lines on the projects you worked on together, so their examples are fresh.

Written recommendations

For a letter, give at least two to three weeks, the deadline and how to submit it. For online recommendations on professional sites, offer to write one for them too if you know their work.

Sources

  1. CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. References (careeronestop.org).
  2. Society for Human Resource Management. Reference checking resources for employers (shrm.org).
  3. National Association of Colleges and Employers. Career readiness competencies (naceweb.org).
  4. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Reference checking, guidance for federal hiring managers (opm.gov).

The worked examples are made up; any resemblance to real people is accidental. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.