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PREPARE & DEVELOP JOB SEARCH

Identify Your References

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Once you have identified the people who could serve as your references, you need to contact them to be sure that they are willing to speak on your behalf. You should be confident that the people you ask will give you a positive reference.

Call your references before you interview for a job. Try to make the contact by phone; this gives the reference a chance to ask questions and gives you a chance to gauge what the reference might say to an employer. If you can’t reach a reference by phone, send an e-mail. However, keep in mind that e-mails are easy to overlook and may not convey everything that you would say in person on the phone.

Give your reference at least two weeks to write your reference letter.

Always provide your reference with a copy of your current resume, so that they are familiar with all of your achievements and experience.

Tell your reference which of your strengths you would like them to focus on when they talk to potential employers.

Keep in touch with your reference when you begin your general job search, and when you have a specific position you are applying for. Stay current with your reference's contact information to ensure you can communicate at different points in your job search.

Consider using a reference checking service. These services will call your references just as a potential employer would and report back to you what your reference said about you. This can be helpful if you aren’t sure of a former company’s policy on providing references.  For example, many companies will only confirm your title and dates of employment.

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