Simple Truths About Following Up to Close the Deal - Simple Truth #5: Keep Your References In The Loop

What your references say about your skills and strengths may be even more compelling for the interviewer than what you say about yourself. Be sure to apprise your references of your status throughout the process. Check in with them and let them know that you have just interviewed with a company. Fill them in on highlights of your discussion with the interviewer, and, if necessary, remind them how your experience meshes with the expectations of the target position. Identify several specifics for them. You may even offer to e-mail or fax them a summary for their reference. Be sure to reiterate your thanks for their help and support. Then, later in the process, find out what the interviewer asked your references. Do there seem to be any areas of your background or capabilities that trouble the prospective employer? If so, when you follow up again with the interviewer, find a way to subtly address these areas and overcome any objections that may have cropped up.