How to choose and prepare your referees

Who makes a good referee, how to ask them, and what to write about them on your CV.

What referees do

A referee is someone an employer can contact to ask about you: how you work, whether you are reliable, and whether what you wrote in your application is true. Employers usually contact referees near the end of the process, when they are close to making an offer. A good reference can confirm the decision; a poor or unreachable referee can delay or stop it.

Most adverts in Tanzania ask for two or three referees. Some ask for their details in your CV, others only at a later stage.

Who makes a good referee

The best referees have seen your work directly. In order of strength:

A current or former supervisor or manager. This is what most employers want.
A senior colleague or a client who worked closely with you.
A lecturer or teacher, especially for recent graduates or for jobs related to your studies.
An internship or volunteer supervisor, if you don't yet have work experience.
A religious or community leader, if you have no work or study referee. Some employers accept these for character, but they carry less weight.

Avoid relatives and close friends. Employers expect referees to be honest about your work, and family members can't be seen as neutral.

Always ask first

Never list someone as a referee without asking. A referee who is surprised by a call may not remember you well, or may not want to speak. Ask in person, by phone or by a short message:

"Good morning, Mr Mushi. I am applying for accountant positions and would be grateful if I could list you as a referee. You supervised my work at the branch between 2022 and 2024. Would you be comfortable speaking to an employer about it?"

If they agree, confirm the phone number and email they prefer to use, and their current job title and organisation.

What to write on your CV

For each referee, write:

Full name and title, for example "Mr John Mushi"
Job title and organisation
Phone number
Email address
How they know you, in a few words, for example "Former supervisor"

Check every number and email carefully. A wrong digit means the employer can't reach them. If you prefer not to share referees' details in every application, you can write "Referees available on request", unless the advert specifically asks for them.

Prepare them for the call

When you reach the interview stage, tell your referees. Send them a short message with:

the job title and employer,
what the job involves,
one or two things you would like them to remember, such as a project you led together.

This helps them give a clear, specific reference instead of a vague one. Never ask a referee to say something untrue.

If a referee says no

Sometimes a person declines, or says they don't know your work well enough. Thank them and ask someone else. A referee who is unsure is better replaced now than heard by an employer later. If you have just left a job on difficult terms, choose a different person from that workplace who saw your work, such as a senior colleague.

Keep the relationship

Referees are doing you a favour. Thank them after they have spoken to an employer, and tell them the outcome, whether you got the job or not. Keep in touch now and then, even when you aren't applying. A referee who has heard from you recently will remember you and speak about you more warmly.

Review your list every year. If a referee has retired, changed number or moved on, update your CV or choose someone else.

Letters of recommendation

Some employers, scholarships and programmes ask for a written letter of recommendation instead of a phone call. Ask your referee well before the deadline, give them the details of what you are applying for and your CV, and tell them how the letter should be sent. A letter on the organisation's letterhead, signed and dated, carries the most weight.

More guides

See all jobs