My strategy is try to help your references help you. Here’s a list of things you can do to make that happen, so you can get the best references possible!

Deep breaths…DEEP. BREATHS. I just felt like you needed to hear that….

I want to tell you how to give your Reference HELP!

This might be my most aggressive DI application advice ever. I’ve seen too many well-qualified applicants not put enough effort into their references. Then they get below average references and it hurts their chances in a big way. Think about it. References are the one component that isn’t coming from you. It is like the YELP review of DICAS. Sure you might be able to say nice things about yourself, but what are you REALLY like?! That’s what the reference does. And directors seriously consider the quality of your references for this reason. Below are some things you can do to help your references help you:

Meeting or Call

Set up an in-person meeting or call to discuss all the details of being a reference, such as deadline, how important it is, etc. I think it is especially important to tell them how competitive the process is and how important it is to get high ratings of 5 and have specific examples in the question portion. Of course if you are working with someone that has done references for DIs before, you can skip the competitive part, but I’ve seen people use supervisors that never did a DI reference and did not put in nearly enough effort (I’m talking like 2 or 3 sentences for each text box and a mix of 3, 4, and 5 scores for the ratings. NOT GOOD!) The more you put into the relationship with your reference, the better it will be.

Resume and Personal Statement

Give them your resume and personal statement drafts (even if they aren’t final…just tell them they aren’t final).

Examples

Give them examples of your strengths and things you are working to improve. The reference may decide to use this material to make your reference stronger and not so cookie-cutter. Make this different for each reference so that they don’t write the same things. Also give STAR stories of the accomplishments you had when you were with them.

Sample References

Give them sample references so they are inspired! (Get our samples in the Get Matched Course and Get Matched Coaching programs!)

A Final Note…

When you are thinking about “selling yourself” you may wonder HOW? Well you really have to think of what the skills are that you need to prove you have. Since I have been a reference, I see all the skills they ask references to rate applicants on. I can’t help but think that the team that put together this list of skills got input from dietetic internship directors. So here are the skills that I think you need to show you have….

  • Application of Knowledge
    • Nutrition Content
    • Medical Nutrition Therapy
    • Food Service Management
  • Analytical Skills/ Problem Solving
  • Conceptual Skills
  • Communication Skills
    • Oral
    • Written
  • Interpersonal Skills
    • Peers/Co-workers
    • Teachers/ Supervisors
  • Leadership Potential
  • Initiative/ Motivation
  • Punctuality
  • Adaptability
  • Reaction to Stress
  • Perseverance
  • Creativity
  • Organizational Skills
  • Works Independently
  • Responsibility/ Maturity
  • Overall Potential as a Dietitian

P.S. If you need help choosing references and giving them the materials they need to help you succeed, you can get a personalized game plan and more resources with Get Matched Coaching.