The great LYJ post “Help Me Help You” got me thinking about the recent requests I’ve received—both good and bad—for serving as a reference or putting in a good word for a jobseeker. Here are some suggestions for the right approach to tapping into your network for this favor:

1. Do ask individuals with whom you’ve worked in some capacity or who have served as your supervisor or mentor to serve as a job reference. They will be able to speak to your performance, skills, and abilities. I used to be under the impression that a jobseeker must only list previous or current supervisors as references. As I’ve gained more work experience, I’ve learned it is completely appropriate to list colleagues and business partners as references too.
2. On the flip side, don’t ask someone whom you’ve never met to put in a word of recommendation on your behalf. I recently offered job search advice via e-mail to a young female jobseeker. She asked if I would serve as a job reference, and in this case, it would be for positions where I might know the hiring manager. Since I’ve never spoken to this person and never seen her in action, I am unable and unwilling to vouch for her as a job candidate. Rather, I would prefer to connect her to a person I may know who works for the organization and she can then set up an informational interview.
3. Be strategic with your network and categorize individuals into those whom you know well enough that they could serve as a reference and those who are appropriate to tap into for connecting you to their contacts. You will want to make different “asks” of different people. Think carefully about what you want from someone and whether it’s an appropriate request given your relationship.
4. It’s never too late to follow up with a colleague or supervisor who could serve as a great reference. Even if it’s been a year (or two) since you’ve reached out to that individual, I’d encourage you to send an e-mail with a brief update and the request. One of my former interns recently reached out with a request that I serve as a reference for a volunteer opportunity. We hadn’t been in touch in a while, but I was excited to hear from her and to know that I could still contribute to her career growth.
5. Always inform your references about the positions for which you apply. It’s a common courtesy to give your references a heads up that they may receive a call from a potential employer. This will allow them to be prepared to provide great remarks instead of feeling caught off guard.
6. Make sure your materials are in top-notch position when asking someone to put in a good word on your behalf. I was recently approached by a job candidate for an informational interview. During our conversation, I found out that she had applied for a position in a partner organization where I know the hiring manager. She made a positive impression on me, so I recommended that my colleague “flag” her resume. My colleague later told me that the job candidate had misspelled “Capitol Hill” in both her resume and cover letter—an error that I missed upon my quick review. This not only soured my colleague’s opinion of the candidate, but it also weakened my recommendation (and most importantly, it probably cost the candidate an interview). Thankfully, this incident didn’t tarnish my reputation with my colleague, but I will be less likely to reach out on this candidate’s behalf in the future.