Resume Rehab by Colleen

Choosing personal references

April 1, 2010 at 6:09 pm Leave a comment

Just got a question from someone about how to choose a personal reference. On a job application, they were told not to include relatives or former employers.

With that in mind, there are a lot of people you could ask to be a reference.

• School – a professor, a student that you did a project with
• Church – pastor or other leader, parishioner
• Volunteer – volunteer supervisor, fellow volunteer
• Sports – former coach or teammate
• Friends – your best friend, a friend in the same industry, a family friend
• Community – a neighbor or civic leader

Above all, choose someone that knows you well and can speak to the skills and traits you want to portray to a potential employer. Someone that has a professional demeanor and can articulate your qualifications will always be your best choice. And make sure to ask the person to be a reference before you put down their information.

Entry filed under: advice, Job Search.