Writing Your Job Reference List

Reference lists are an important part of yourself promotion arsenal. When you are looking for a job, many interviewers will ask for a reference list. They do this because they want to get an idea of what kind of person you are and if you would be a good fit for their company. It costs employers a lot of money to get you hired, trained, and paid, so they will go to great lengths to make sure you are up to their standards.

Some job experts feel that you should always include your references when applying for a job. Peak Recruiters uses a different tactic where you offer references upon request or during the interview. This allows you to see if it is truly a position you are interested in before exposing your references to calls from the interviewer. Remember, your references are taking time out of their busy schedule to give you a reference, so extra calls for jobs you aren't extremely interested in can add up. You want to make sure that your references are not getting sick of being on your reference list.

Further, by giving references upon request or at the interview gives you a chance to talk to you references ahead of time and prep them for the call. Tell them what type of position you are applying for and what attributes you feel would be best for them to highlight.

Your references can be all work related, or a mix or work related and socially related. It is not recommended that you use only socially related references, as most employers want information from a source that knows you through a work related relationship.

Your references should be listed on a separate paper and the look should match the same type of font, paper stock, etc. as your cover letter and resume. Also, remember your references should be around 3-6 in number and be spaced out on the sheet of paper to allow for notations to be made by the interviewer. Always check to make sure your have current contact information for your references. An example of how your references sheet should look could be:

Name:
Where they are employed and their title:
How they know you and for how long:
Phone Number:
Email Address:

Written references or recommendations are also good to have prepared. Written references are a great chance to showcase your talents in a written format. This could be from a lifelong friend, a teacher, an employer, client or colleague.

It is also important to thank your references personally when they have been contacted and provided a reference for you. They are providing a valuable service to you, make sure they know that it is appreciated.

It is also good to make sure ahead of time that your references will give you a superior reference. In some circumstances it is difficult to be sure of this. For this reason we recommend a service like ....... They will do the work of contacting all of your references, ask them questions about you, then give you a report of what your references said about you. This can be an invaluable tool to have, considering what a couple poor reference choices could do to your chances of landing that job you so desperately want and deserve.

     
Copyright 2009 Peak Recruiters, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Orlando,Fl