Choose referees who can discuss relevant work you actually performed, ask their permission and brief them about the vacancy. A recognisable job title or personal connection is less useful than someone who can explain your contribution accurately.
Check the advertisement for the required number, relationship or timing. Requirements vary. The Queensland Police staff guide, for example, sets out its own referee expectations; those should not be treated as a rule for every Australian employer.
Identify people with first-hand knowledge
Consider who directly observed your relevant tasks, conduct and working relationships. A manager, supervisor, project lead or appropriate volunteer coordinator may be useful depending on the vacancy. Check that the person can speak about the period and work you are presenting.
Do not nominate someone who knows only your personal background when the employer asks for a work-performance referee. If your experience is mainly study or community work, ask the recruiter which alternative relationships are acceptable.
If contacting your current manager could disclose a confidential job search, raise the timing with the recruitment team. Do not list their private number and assume the employer will know not to call.
Ask permission with a clear request
This is an original fictional email. It is a template for adaptation, not a real message or an instruction to send one automatically.
Subject: Referee request — administration application
Hi Jordan,
I am applying for an administration role involving records, booking coordination and customer communication. Would you be comfortable acting as a referee for the work you supervised when we worked together?
The employer may ask about my role, the tasks you observed and how I handled accuracy and competing priorities. If you agree, I can send the advertisement and the relevant version of my résumé. Please let me know which contact details and times you would prefer me to provide.
I understand if you are unable to do it. Thank you for considering the request.
Kind regards,
Alex Example
The request explains why the person is relevant, asks rather than assumes and lets them choose a suitable contact method. Do not coach a referee to confirm a claim they did not observe.
Prepare a short briefing pack
Send the advertisement or role description, your submitted résumé, the work you completed together and any verified recruitment timing. Highlight the duties relevant to the vacancy so the referee understands the context.
A useful briefing checklist includes: permission confirmed; relationship and work period accurate; preferred contact details checked; role information provided; relevant examples identified; contact restrictions explained; and thanks sent after the process where appropriate.
Keep the pack proportionate. A referee does not need your tax details, passport, medical records or every previous application. Share only information relevant to the request through a sensible private channel.
Check the résumé entry
If details are requested, state the referee’s name, role, organisation, relationship to you and agreed contact information. Check spelling and country codes. For overseas referees, explain time-zone or language considerations to the recruiter without assuming they cannot be used.
If details are not requested at that stage, follow the employer’s instructions rather than adding several people’s personal information to every publicly available résumé. Update your own record when a referee changes role or contact details.
The Department of Housing and Public Works guidance reinforces following the specific vacancy’s application requirements. Use the current advertisement as your checklist.
Keep referees separate from applications
Agreeing to be a referee does not mean the person endorses every future application or can promise an outcome. Ask again when circumstances or the proposed use changes substantially.
Our résumé preparation guide covers the broader document. The job-preparation checklist helps organise other materials. Employer reference checking is a separate process with its own consent, verification and recordkeeping responsibilities.
