Will Job References Help You Land A New Job?

When there is a peak demand for jobs, qualifications and work experience alone will not work. Job reference is one of the factors that can help you reach the door of success. Job references have gained much positive response in the recent times from both employees and employers. Many recruiters are considering this as a source to know about the job seeker's past achievements and performance without investing much time to check their social profiles in order to know their behaviour.

Undeniably, the job references will help you a lot and recruiters also pay more attention to what others say about you rather than what you say about yourself. Hence, it has became extremely important for job seekers to choose the references carefully. Here is everything you need to know about job references.

Who Are The References
The references can be from your family, colleagues, boss or friends, who know a lot about you, specifically about your professional career. Many believe that a reference should be from the same company that they have applied, but this is a myth. A reference can be from anyone who knows you well. The more number of references means the more you gain because the recruiters feel that your work experience and qualifications are genuine.

Whom To Approach
This is the real test for job seekers. Though you have friends or family members to give you a reference, your first call should go to the previous employers. It is even advised to call the last employer. At least two or more references are suggested. If you have more than two, then choose the third one who knows about your personal life also.

How To Approach
This is an even more difficult task than identifying the reference because you might have missed their contact. If you miss the contact, try to identify them by using social media platforms such as LinkedIn. If you have the contact details, use the email first rather than phone because they respond faster via email. If you have a good relationship with your past employer and feel that they will never say no, you can make a call.

How To Ask
We suggest you keep the references ready while hunting for a job. The last-minute rush is not encouraged and this way your references will also have time to think about something relevant to say about you. While going to an interview, drop a message that you are using the reference. However, the most important thing is to always take their permission before listing their details as a reference.

Where To Keep
So you are prepared for an interview, everything including your curriculum vitae (CV). Where you should add the reference details? It is advised to keep the details at the end of CV on a separate page mentioning the list of references. This will give the interviewee a better view of your profile. Always make sure that your references are free to say what they really want to and never make them say something you want them to say.

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