Identifying a professional reference at times can feel daunting. You might even be tempted to list a friend or make up a reference. Managers are going to catch such mistakes and even if it is a good friend, if that friend cannot speak to your professionalism then he or she will not be a good reference. It is okay to think outside the box. A reference does not need to simply be a former manager. You could have a former co-worker, client, or professor.

As you identify references, it is important to focus on individuals who can speak to your work ethic. There are a variety of people who might know and understand your work ethic and professionalism skills. Think of how many venues in which professional skills are required but are not jobs. Those who find the best references are those who are able to identify individuals that have seen them demonstrate skills and attributes, rather than simply knowing the individual. Who to choose for a reference is a decision that requires proactive thought.

Some individuals wonder if the only references that can be used are professional references. You can use a wide variety of references; however, each of your references need to be able to speak to your work ethic and the characteristics about you. For example, you might have served in a community organization. In doing so, you met friends that could see your diligence and effort. Although you did not work for these people, their reference could definitely speak to your diligence and effort. So although professional references are preferred, personal references can also be extremely valuable.

In the process of establishing professional references, some may feel that they are in a position that they cannot identify adequate professional references. It is important to identify strategies on how to develop such a reference in the absence of adequate professional references. One possible strategy is to volunteer for a professional for whom you desire a reference. It is important to identify people for whom you would like a reference and then seek to develop a relationship strong enough that the individual feels comfortable offering a reference. As you work through this process it will be important to identify strategies that work best for you.

Throughout this course, you are learning multiple skills to improve the career search process. Many times, individuals will exclusively focus on resume and cover letters and neglect thinking through who to use as a reference. Some students have even admitted that he or she simply listed a name quickly with a phone number. When an employer is at the point of seriously deciding between you and another candidate, you will want every aspect of your application to be strong.

Prompt

Now that you have done some research it is important that we start to build strategies and approaches to identify references. You will want to use effective strategies to identify the best references. After doing the research about how to identify the most effective professional and personal references, describe the most effective strategies you found.

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