+ THINK ABOUT YOUR REFEREES

....because they are going to be checked before a nomination is proposed. Sometimes we'll ask for additional referees as well if we feel that not enough information can be gleaned from our initial discussion.

+ HONESTY REALLY IS THE BEST POLICY

Please....be genuine!! ....and you won't "burn your bridges" as a consequence!! We have techniques for determining the truth and it's just as embarrassing for us as it is for the candidate when we ascertain that the referee isn't genuine. As such, we don't always accept mobile telephone numbers for referees, and they need to be contactable during business hours, preferably at a work number. We won't tie them up for very long, maybe 10 mins at most.

+ KEEP THEM UP-TO-DATE

Many people tell us they've "lost track" of their referees or former colleagues - take note of the following: You could ask your referees to supply you with an alternative contact (friend, family etc) who can provide you with current contact information at any time. You're responsible for ensuring that your referees' contact numbers are up-to-date (which of course you can do easily by emailing, posting, faxing or phoning us). Simple really!

Referee tracking is not our responsibility and your chances of nomination could be seriously affected when other nominees for the same position have easy-to-contact referees.

>> Just get me registered!