3 Tips in Asking for a Job Reference

When you apply for a job, typically you are required to have a job reference. Many people ask someone to do a reference for them, but the key is asking the right person to do a job reference for you. 

 

Why do employers ask you for a job reference? Well, as you can imagine they are trying to learn as much about you as possible. They want to ensure that you are who you say you are, and that you are being honest about your skills and experience.

Here are some tips when asking for a job reference:

Ask the right person
It is important to ask a person for a job reference who will speak well of you. This is not the time to have someone speak ill of you or talk about how you make mistakes or things of that sort. Having a supervisor speak well of you will go a long way, if you have a good relationship with your supervisor this would be a great person to ask. Not only do they know how you perform at a job, but they can talk about how you have been an asset to the team.

Typically, at this point it is not appropriate to have a personal reference, stick to a work reference, or a volunteer reference.

Another good tip is that if you are currently employed to make sure you keep good relationships with co-workers or your supervisor. You never know when you will need them as a potential reference! 

The last thing you want to do is rush a reference. Yes, we have all been there were we are caught in a pinch and need something ASAP. However, if you are reading this, there is a good chance you can avoid that happening! Give the person you ask some time to ensure they get you a good reference and have time to do it!

 

If there are specific requirements for the reference, make sure to let your reference know. It is probably not a good idea to have to go back to your reference after they spent time writing it up, and ask them to redo it or add more to it. Make sure you give all the information they need so they can knock it out in the time they set aside for it.