I have gotten jobs for which I didn’t need any recommendation letters; such jobs often come by after a long time of being professionally acquainted with certain organizations and people. But back when I was still a fresh graduated with 0-2 years experience in anything, I was asked to submit reference letters by colleagues, bosses or professors. Until this day, I never leave any job before I secure my recommendation letter(s) which is a great tactic because you never know what can happen when you leave a company.
Having good references can help you turn from a potential candidate to a top choice.
Keep the following in mind when compiling a list of references and letters of recommendation.
Who should you ask?
Select people who are able to make a reliable evaluation of your character and your working ability and who are likely to give you a fair and positive evaluation. Consider asking professors, academic advisors, employers, business acquaintances, coaches, or community leaders. Stay away from using relatives and family members as references even if you have worked with them in a professional setting as your potential employer might not consider them credible and eliminate them for naturally having a biased opinion of your character.
How should you ask?
While it sounds easier to email someone to ask them to be your reference or write you a recommendation letter as it saves them and you the awkwardness of declination; it is advised that you only approach people who you know would be happy to help you. This means that you can call or ask in person. You’ll be able to get an immediate answer to your request this way.
Keep in mind that you want a good reference so if someone says no, it's probably a good thing.
How should you prepare your references?
After you have two or three people who have agreed to be your references, talk to them about the areas you would like them to focus on making sure they understand very well the purpose of this recommendation letter and to whom they should address it.
If you can, try to have every one of your references speak about one or two responsibilities if they are from the same field. For example, if you’re a journalist, you can ask one of your references to talk about your editorial skills while the other talk about your investigative journalism skills. A third reference can focus on your personality and leadership skills.
Regardless of whether or not you get the position you want, you should thank your references for taking time to help you. Send them a thank-you card a couple of days after you have asked them to be a reference or write a letter. If you end up getting the position, send another thank-you note letting them know that you got the job.
