References: manage them before anyone asks
Reference checks in financial services are thorough and back-channel. Your referees need preparation, not just permission.
Banks and search firms run references in two ways: the official list you provide, and back-channel calls to people who managed you that you did not list. You control the first. You can only influence the second - by how you left and what your file says.
Choosing the three
Pick one direct manager, one peer or internal client, and one person senior enough to speak to your judgment. Recency beats seniority: a current manager at a mid-size NBFC outweighs a retired MD who barely remembers your work.
Brief them properly
Send each referee the role description and two bullets you hope they will confirm - specific outcomes they witnessed. "They may ask about the 2023 portfolio cleanup; the numbers were X and Y" is legitimate preparation, not coaching. Unprepared referees give vague answers, and vague answers read as doubt.
The back-channel reality
- Never fake a referee - verification services exist and are used
- Assume your last two employers will be called regardless of your list
- If a past manager dislikes you, say so first: "we ended on difficult terms; here is why" defuses most of it