Personal references should be people who have known you for at least a year, think positively of you, can communicate well, and are available on short notice.
2. Try to avoid listing family members or your spouse as personal references, as they might be seen as biased.
Who should you pick for references?
The best references come from people who have worked closely with you. Ask for references from a mixture of former and current bosses, coworkers, and subordinates.
2. Make sure you know what a potential reference will say about you before you ask them to be one.
3. Fernández-Aráoz says that the best references come from people who have worked closely with you. Claman adds that you should never ask someone to be a reference if you don’t know for certain what he or she is going to say.
Who Cannot be a reference?
It’s great that your pal is the VP at a fancy company, but unless you have formally worked with that person, they aren’t going to be able to provide the kind of impartial information potential employers are looking for.
2. Just be honest about who your references are and how you know them.
“What to do if you don’t want to give a reference?”
Keep your recommendation brief if you don’t know the person well, or if what you do know makes you hesitant to risk your reputation.
2. Offer to help in other ways if you can’t recommend the person.
3. Be honest in your recommendation.
4. Tell a white lie if it will help the person.
5. Focus on the positive aspects of the person.
Is it okay to only provide 2 references?
Include at least three references on your job application.
2. The employer will be able to get a better sense of who you are as a candidate if they hear from multiple people.
3. The number of references required may vary depending on the position and the company.
I Leon Thompson am a Human Resources Expert. I have worked in the field for over 15 years, and during that time I have gained invaluable experience and knowledge.
I am also a CV expert and Resume Expert, so I know what employers are looking for when they review applications. This gives me an advantage when helping clients to create resumes and CVs that will stand out from the crowd.