In a slowing economy, employers tend to deliberate longer than usual over hiring decisions. That means "reference-checking is crucial," says Larry Cambron, president of Drake Beam Morin Asia, an outplacement firm that helps employees prepare for career changes. The Asian Wall Street Journal asked Mr. Cambron and Mr. Mak for tips about how to make your referees work for you, not against you.

Know Your Referees: Always assume your references will be checked. While putting down referees with prestigious credentials might look impressive, throwing the name of a well-known CEO on to your list is meaningless if you "only met him once at a cocktail party," says Mr. Mak. Make sure your referees have worked with you directly. If a company asks for character references as well, then a priest, judge or local legislator might make a nice addition. Otherwise, don't list them.

Ask Permission: When a prospective employer calls one of your referees, the last thing you want that person to say is "Who?" Yet Mr. Mak says many people are actually surprised to learn that someone has listed them as a referee. To avoid this awkward and potentially damaging situation, always ask your referees before listing them on your resume, he says. It's good practice to have three to six people ready for referencing, says Mr. Cambron. "Certainly, your most recent boss is an obvious choice, since that's the person best acquainted with your recent work," he adds.

If your superiors don't know you're looking for a job, it may be time to tell them so as to gauge whether they would give strong recommendations -- unless, of course, doing so puts your current position in jeopardy. If you leave your previous job on bad terms, it's still a good idea to speak with your former bosses to see what kind of reference they'd give. If it's bad, leave them off. Colleagues, clients and former subordinates are also likely choices.

Get Your Referees Ready: When asking for permission, take 15 minutes to get your referee up to speed with your situation. Talk about the job you're applying for, the types of questions you expect a prospective employer might ask and what you've been doing recently. What kind of questions do prospective employers typically ask? Terms of employment, former duties, level of performance, personal strengths and weaknesses and reasons for leaving are among the most common, says Mr. Cambron.

This is the best time to head off a potentially bad reference. Make sure both you and your referee have your story straight. "If you've just been laid off, "the best approach is to negotiate with your former boss and agree on an appropriate statement," say Mr. Cambron.

Update Your List: Nothing is more annoying for an employer than trying to track down a referee with an out-of-date address or a bad phone number. When talking to your referees, make sure you have their current address, phone number, company and job title, Mr. Mak says. Also, you may consider limiting your referees to people in the region. Referees in Moscow, Tokyo and New York may seem exotic, but it's often difficult for prospective employers to get in touch with people spread out over the globe, he warns. Finally, keep your referees apprised of your job search. Follow up and thank them for their help -- it will smooth the way for references they may give down the line.