How to Get Great References for Your Move to Australia

Choosing your referees carefully is an important part of securing your dream job in Australia as a UK junior doctor. Regardless of where you apply and which application route you choose, having great references from referees who respond promptly will really help your chances.

In this article, we discuss how to choose the ideal referees, how many you should have, what documents they will be required to provide, and many other aspects. 

Let’s get into it!

🩺  What are references?

If you’re not aware, in this context, a reference is sought by a hospital in Australia considering making you a job offer. Your referee, a consultant you’ve worked with, will confirm your work history with them and give feedback on your skills and overall performance.

✅  Is this an important step or more of a box-ticking exercise?

Many frustrating administrative chores are involved in moving to Australia, but references are a genuinely important part of securing a job. Hospitals will look to them as evidence of your competence before making you an offer, and a good reference can be the difference between getting an offer and not.

⏰  When are references needed?

References will need to be provided before you are given a formal offer, but when exactly in the process varies.

Some hospitals will ask for them as a final confirmatory step before making an offer, while others will want to see them much earlier in the process as they evaluate your suitability for a job. In some cases, this may be as early as alongside the first interview!

🧑  How many references do I need?

Usually, two references are required for junior doctor jobs. Occasionally, the hospital's policy may be to have three referees.

🥼  Who should I choose as my referees?

You should pick consultants who have worked with you in a patient-facing environment and hence, will be best placed to comment on your clinical skills. Someone who you have worked with for a significant time and who has seen multiple aspects of your work is ideal. A clinical supervisor is often an example of such a person. 

As a foundation doctor, having your educational supervisor as at least one of your references is appropriate, given that they will have oversight of your overall development across your training.

Your 2nd (and 3rd, if needed) referee should be someone who you think will be able to highlight your range of strengths best and advocate for you in the application process.

Think of someone you have a good working relationship with who will be keen to see you succeed in Australia. 

Keep in mind that there is sometimes a requirement for how long a referee must have known you, so make sure you check that. 

❓How many people should I ask to be my referee?

As we explain below, each hospital that you apply to will want to receive their own references.

If you are applying to multiple places in Australia, it is worthwhile gathering multiple referees who are happy to fill out reference requests so that each of them is not burdened with filling out a large number of referrals for you.

The number you need will depend on how widely you are applying, but this could be up to 6 Consultants. You can then list different Consultants on different applications (in a sort of rotation) to ensure they are not burnt out from filling in endless forms on your behalf.

📝  What information will the referee be required to provide?

The information the referee may be required to provide varies by hospital and state. Generally, they will be asked to complete a generic reference form that confirms that you worked with them and asks a few simple questions about your competency and fit in the department. 

The references are usually forms to fill out rather than free text writing, so referees can’t send the same paragraph to each hospital. However, the forms are often tick boxes, with a few short answer questions, and hence should not take too long for them to complete.

However, your referees may be asked to score you as part of their reference in certain instances. For example, if you apply via the statewide recruitment portal in Victoria, your referees will be asked to submit a report which includes a score in various elements of clinical competency, verbal and written communication skills, and personal and professional conduct. 

🏥  Does each hospital need to contact my referees separately? 

Unfortunately, yes. There’s no communal system where hospitals can share references, even within states. This means that referees often have to do multiple references for you until you get the job you want. 

So all the more reason to ask their permission (see below)! If you want to apply to many hospitals, you might want to have a few different referees in mind to ensure that you don’t overwhelm a couple of them.

🙏  Should I ask permission from my referees first?

Yes! Good manners will also increase your chances of getting a positive and prompt response.

Many Consultants (especially Educational Supervisors) will be asked for references by a large number of doctors for Australia as well as for fellowships and locum work. But they understand that it's a necessary evil of the process and will do what they need to do to help.

So taking the time to send them a friendly, grateful and grovelling message explaining that some Australian hospitals will ask them for references will go a long way to helping you get them quickly. A quick phone call would be helpful too if you have a good relationship with them and you think it's appropriate.

Ensure you have their correct and up-to-date contact details (Trust email addresses and phone numbers or their secretary's phone number) to share these with the hospitals.

⏳  Is there a time limit to receiving the reference?

Hospitals in Australia can be quite strict with deadlines for receiving references. If you know a deadline is looming, check in with the hospital to see if the reference is still outstanding.

If so, you can chase up your referees (politely) to remind them of the deadline and ask them to complete it in time.

🤷  What else do I need to do before I get my job offer?

To make your job offer process as smooth as possible, check out this article where we outlined everything you can do before receiving a job offer.

📚 Continue Reading

🚀 This article is part of Messly's Ultimate Guide to Working in Australia. The guide covers all you need to know as a UK doctor to understand your options, research your move, find work, get registered and move out to Australia.
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❓ If you are still weighing up whether a move to Australia is right for you, our article To Aus or not to Aus breaks down the pros and cons, so you can make an informed decision. Read this with Common Questions on Moving to Australia as a UK Junior Doctor.
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🤔 Confused about how the grades work in Australia, and which roles you should be applying for? This article breaks down the grade system and explains which roles might be suitable for you.

✈️  There are four routes to finding a job in Australia. In this detailed guide, we explain how each works and the pros and cons of each, so you can kick-start your search for your dream job Down Under

📄  If you're preparing to submit applications for jobs in Australia, you'll want your CV to stand out from the crowd. This CV-writing guide will help you make an excellent first impression and get you through to the interview stage.

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This article was written with input from Dr Solveig Hoppe, who moved to Townsville in Queensland after completing her F1 in the NHS.