How to prepare your professional references for a call from a medical recruiter

 

When you impress a hiring manager with your skills, qualifications and professional demeanor, there's often just one thing standing between you and the job: your references. As part of the employer's due diligence, speaking with your references can help to verify your experience, character and personal values.

Before you hand over your list of references to a physician recruiter, make sure your connections are fully prepared to vouch for you.

Get permission in advance

The last thing you want is for your references to be unprepared for a call from your potential employer. Prepare your references ahead of time by asking permission to give their contact information to a recruiter.

If your references are busy professionals, be considerate of their time by promising that a recruiter will only contact them if you are in serious consideration for a position. You don't want to wear out your references with calls for positions that don't ultimately go anywhere.

Make sure your references are informed

Don't leave it up to your references to decide what they will talk about. Legally, there are few restrictions on what a recruiter can ask your references, but most will stick to verifiable facts such as the dates you worked with them, inquires into the nature of your previous job and how well you performed on the job.

Recruiters may also ask about the quality of your work with previous employers, as well as your strengths and weaknesses. Before an employer contacts your references, consider sending them a brief, bulleted lists of your accomplishments as well as any other points you'd like them to mention.

Send a thank you note

Generally, recruiters and employers won't tell you who they spoke with when considering you for the position, so you should send a thank you note to everyone who could have been contacted. For instance, if you gave the recruiter a list of four references, send everyone a note praising them for their assistance. And be prepared to act as a reference for them, too!

Looking for the medical job of your dreams? Sign up for free job alerts from myHealthTalent.com today. Before you hand over your list of references to a physician recruiter, make sure your connections are fully prepared to vouch for you.