As a recruiter with 15 years' experience, I have seen this happen far too often: a candidate would come in with an impressive CV and would present extremely well. I would then put them forward for various suitable positions and my clients (their potential future employers) would often share my enthusiasm. However, when I was asked to do reference checks, things frequently came undone.

Unfortunately, too many of my candidates found out the hard way that just because I had been asked to speak to their referees, it didn't mean the job was in the bag. How you prepare, brief and handle your referees is critical and it goes way beyond simply providing a name, number and the email address of a former boss.

Employers will typically try to conduct at least two verbal reference checks before extending an offer and rarely rely on written references or standard confirmation of employment statements. Despite this, it's still advisable not to list the names and contact numbers of referees on your CV but rather to include a statement such as "details of referees shall be provided upon request". This avoids recruiters or hiring managers contacting your referees and doing their own preliminary investigation before they've even had the chance to meet with you in person.

If you are looking for work, it's important to be in regular contact with your possible referees. Who to ask is a necessary question to contemplate. Only choose those whom you know will speak highly of you and who have currency (with a maximum of five years since you worked together). Former bosses are the obvious choice but also consider colleagues, clients and suppliers.

If you don't want your current team to know you are considering leaving the business, you may need to confide in someone to act as a referee. Perhaps there is a manager in another part of the business who is fully aware of your strengths who you can ask.

When it comes to professional references, friends (and parents) don't count. These are considered to be character references that can be provided if asked.

How you handle your referees is incredibly important. In the event that a recruiter is going to conduct a reference check, thoroughly brief your referees first on what the role is that you have applied for. You may even want to send them a copy of the advertisement and/or position description.

Then give them an overview on any specific points that may have arisen during the interview. Also, what sort of feedback you got during the interview and any concerns the recruiter or organisation had. Often it is your referees who can confirm or deny these. And while you can't control or dictate what your referees will say, if you prepare them in advance, it's more likely they will be able to cover, or reinforce, certain aspects of your past performance that will put you in a better position.

A referee should never be surprised to get a call from a recruiter or HR contact asking them to speak on your behalf. Similarly, a referee shouldn't be taken off guard by the questions they are asked, the information they need to provide, or about the job you are applying for. And ask your referee to let you know how their conversation went so you can keep fully abreast of all developments.

If you are successful in securing a new role, thank your referees. Surely a box of chocolates won't break the bank!

Paul Slezak is the founder of 2 dots (2dots.com.au) and director of Recruitment Academy (recruitmentacademy.com.au/).

Are your referees ready to go? Tell us at mycareer.com.au/vote.