Employment References

Employment References – While applying for a new job it will be necessary to compile a list references of people who you have worked with in order to submit along with your resume and other verification documents.Sometimes you may even need a reference for promotion to a higher post in your existing company,or if you are student who needs a recommendation letter from your professor for higher studies then an academic reference will come in handy.

These employment references are furnished to the job interview panel or the hiring manager after the job selection interview goes through.It is a positive sign that the prospective position you are vying for may be yours,just after this last hurdle is cleared.

It goes without saying that you need to approach people you are familiar with and decide before hand who you want to include on your reference list.If you choose the wrong person to refer you then you risk a negative recommendation which can be detrimental to your job application.It is better to ask around among your former bosses and managers before including them in your list .This way you can be turned down by a few,but that is better than a negative reference.

Who to include as your Employment References

You need to give three to four references when asked.These will include a mix of personal and professional contacts that can talk freely and positively about your prior work experience and strong points.The people that you must include as your employment references are any superior staff that your reported to or monitored your progress and growth in your previous job.This ideally should be your immediate senior manager that you were in touch with on a daily basis.

Other references can be your friends or colleagues,that can talk about you in an informal manner and should know you on a personal level.Keep in mind that these references should have a good stables job at a reputed company and hold a respectable designation or job title within that organization.this gives them more credibility and trustworthiness to verify your claims.

Besides referring someone who works in another company you could also put in your list people known to you who have small businesses and are self employed like lawyers,doctors or volunteers of the local parish or non profit organization.

Who to exclude as your Employment References

There are a few thing to keep in mind while choosing your references wisely.Your reference must be able to talk fluently,articulately and with confidence on your behalf when he/she faces all types of questions,some which maybe tricky.

This person should be well versed with your past work history,your field of expertise and should know you well as a person.If any of the other things don’t match up to requirement then you should not consider putting that name down s a reference.

It may seem obvious that you shouldn’t include anyone with whom you have had a bad relationship with at the workplace, maybe a former manager or senior staff member that has a grouse against you or even friend that you don’t trust fully.This person should not be envious of your new job application because that could hurt your chances of going through and securing that position.

Things to keep in mind about Employment References.

1.Besides having a list of references ready at the end of a successful job interview,you need to also keep previous salary slips,offer letters and recommendation letters ready.

2.If you are fresh out of college or university,it would be beneficial if you had an Academic Letter of Reference written by former teachers and also include these teachers names in your reference list.

3.As soon as you have a hint that the job interview has gone well and your reference list will be getting verification calls, before that you need to call all your references and tell them that most probably they will be contacted by xxx company.You need need to them brief them about what to say ad what not to.That step is extremely important.The reference call should not come to them unexpectedly because if hey are caught unawares, they might slip up on a detail and reveal something they shouldn’t.