What are Professional References?
Professional references are people who can provide information about someone's job performance and suitability for employment. When employers evaluate applications, they may choose to take the time to contact references to get more information about candidates they are considering. Everyone needs professional references, and people should take the time to choose references carefully so that they will be presented in a positive way to future employers.
By convention, people do not list their professional references on their resumes, stating “references available upon request.” If a job application specifically requests references, the applicant may note down the three best references for the position he or she is applying for. Professional references are commonly used across the business world and in academia, where they can be critical for both students and professors.
Picking references can get complicated. It is a good idea to maintain a list of all potential professional references, and to select three to five who fit best with specific positions. Professional references should be able to provide glowing reviews of job performance, along with information which will make a job applicant seem appealing. Generally, people in superior positions, such as supervisors and business owners, are used as references, along with people such as landlords or professors who have an established relationship with the applicant.
People should always ask before using someone as a professional reference, to ensure that the person is willing, and to find out what he or she would say. Keeping contact with key people such as managers at past jobs will make them more inclined to act as professional references when requested. When asking if someone will agree to be a reference, a job applicant should make sure that he or she has current contact information for the reference, and he or she should ask what the reference will say.
People can also use letters of reference as professional references. Letters can be useful because people can keep them on file and hand out copies as requested, without having to request a reference over and over from the same person, although it is better to get a reference customized for a specific position. Some jobs may actually require letters of reference. When using letters as references, applicants should be aware that an employer may want to contact the reference for additional information.
When providing a list of professional references, applicants should include the names, job titles, and phone numbers of the references. It may also be advisable to add email addresses, the context in which the reference knows the applicant, and the number of years the applicant has known the reference. Applicants may want to take note that if they include this information, the potential employer will verify it, so falsifying this data is not advisable.
People who have never had jobs before often struggle with professional references, because they don't have any job history. A good source for references is college and university professors, landlords, and old family friends who have known the applicant for an extended period of time. New job seekers should note that they have no job history when they provide references so that employers are not suspicious about the lack of former employers on a list of references.
Written by S.E. Smith
