How to Ask for a Reference for Employment

How to Ask for a Reference for Employment Request– Once you decide on who to ask for a reference for a particular job that you have applied for it is time to put all those names down into a rough reference list.This list will contain six to seven possible reference that you hope will endorse you and put a good word in for you when they get the verification call.These six names will be trimmed down to a final 3-4 later on.

A few things to remember once you put a possible name down on the list is that out of the 6-7 names that you ask to be your reference,alteast 2-3 will turn you down.This could be for various reasons like maybe they don’t know you well enough to recommend or are not sure about your professional background in order to answer the verification call sincerely.

Ways of How to Ask for a Reference for Employment

You need to broadly classify your possible references only our list into two main categories.Depending on this on how well you know the people on your list you and segregate them as Personal References and Professional References.Your personal references will be people who know you well on an informal level.These could be your friends,neighbors and people from you community who you interact with outside of work.They know details about your personal life and will be able to answer questions based on your character and personality.

Your professional contacts on your list will be your former manager,a senior staff member in your office that you reported to , or a former office colleague. These people who have worked with you in the office environment,are well informed about your professional work skills,your technical knowledge in the field and your weaknesses and forte in the line of work.They will be the people who will endorse your professional abilities an acumen.

How to ask a Personal Reference – Since your relationship with with your personal references are informal,therefor you an even contact them informally.Best way is to give them  a call directly and explain the situation.Give them a little background about your work and what you do.Tell them also that you have applied for a new position in another company ad need references from personal contact to verify character.Since they do not work with you,they need to be provided with details of what to say and how to answer the questions. Also give them a brief of what type of questions might come their way.

How to ask a Professional Reference – These type of references are to be treated wisely.Since you will most definitely be asking a former manger of boss to be reference,it is important to pick one with whom you have had a good relationship with,this will nullify chance of a negative recommendation. Since these references re from work yo need to keep it formal.Send them an email explaining the new job offer you have applied for and how much it will help you grow in your career if you get selected. Most of these senior staff managerial level people who contact will have experience in dealing with these calls,nevertheless give them an idea to the questions that might be asked.

Sample Request letter for references

Here is a sample request letter for a reference that you can send a former work colleague or Manager who you worked under in your previous job.

Marjorie Williams,
2112,Cresecen Drive,
Santa Clara,
California,90324

04,February,20**

Roger Walter,
Deputy Manager,
Andro Tech,
Bay Area,SF

Dear Roger,

Hope your’e doing well.As you know after my contract with Andro Tech i had to move to West Coast to get more experience in the Systems Technology Industry.I have recently applied for a position in a new startup ,and was wondering it would be okay if i could add you in my reference ist for this position.

The Hiring Manager of the startup had asked me for a few references with colleagues i had worked with in past in the same industry  and i will inform you well in advance when it reaches the final stages of my job application.Your name came up first in my mind because of all the time we spent on the Mayfair Project.

I would be thoroughly grateful and indebted for this.If there is anything i can do for you also,please let me know.For any more clarification or for my current job profile you can take look at it in thee enclosed attachment or call me anytime.

Thanking you,

Marjorie Wiliams

555-243-4554

marjorietre@gmail.com