June 16th, 2014
At the end of every resume, there is always a little cliff-hanger – “References available upon request.” Many recruiters will request your references, so it’s wise to have three people you have worked with in the past and who know you well. It’s also a good idea to notify them ahead of time that your recruiter may contact to verify your work performance. Here are three references every candidate should have.
- Your mentor.
Your career mentor should be the first on your list. While your mentor does not necessarily have to work at the same company, you do want to ensure they fully understand your work performance enough to offer credible, specific examples of your improvements. If they do not work at the same company, it’s best to ensure that you have at some point worked with them in the same industry.
- Former boss.
You’ll need at least one supervisor – preferably your direct supervisor – who can vouch for your performance. Mentors are great to show how you continually improve your performance, but the word of a manager or supervisor carries more clout. While mentors are very helpful, your direct boss is the one who has had to formally evaluate your performance, improvements, and attendance.
- Former colleague.
Having the boss’s clout and the mentor’s understanding of your progression are both good, but your colleague knows how you work much better than either of the previous two. Thus, having a colleague’s perspective of what you’re like, working side-by-side with you can be incredibly valuable. A former colleague’s perspective can give the recruiter guidance as to how well you will fit in with a company’s culture.
References can either convince a recruiter to interview you, or dissuade them entirely. Therefore, having the ideal contacts can be crucial. In knowing this, choose them very carefully with the understanding that the right ones can potentially land you the career opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
Regardless of where you worked before, we can help. At Pridestaff, we work with a very wide variety of business in and around the Ft. Lauderdale area, and we want to help you find the opportunities to advance your career. Our recruiters are very experienced and can help you find the right company with the right skillset and cultural fit. Contact us today to see how we can help you progress to the next level.