Who Should We Contact? Three Tips for Selecting Professional References

Deciding which people to ask for a professional reference can be a very difficult decision. You do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you also want to choose the best people possible. You want to select people who will provide a glowing endorsement of you as a person and a professional. We have compiled the three most important tips for selecting professional references in this post. If you follow these strategies, you should have no problems asking the right people from your network to act as references.

References Should Explain Your Impact on a Team or Department

One of the most important things you need to remember when selecting references is the fact that they should have the ability to explain the overall  impact you had during your time working with them. This can be your impact on the team you work on or the department in which you worked. When a reference can explain the results and impact that you had while on the job, this will help a recruiter understand the value you can bring to your future work.

References Have Strong Ability to Think on Their Feet

Any reference you choose must have the ability to think on their feet. This is very important because they will be grilled just as much as you will be during a job interview. The reason for this is the employer will want to find out if the reference is just reciting something you have written for them or if they are speaking from the heart about you. They will be faced with tough questions regarding you and they need to be able to answer quickly and with top-notch responses in an effort to sell your value as an employee.

References Must Know You Personally and Professionally

When choosing a perfect reference, make sure that he or she knows you personally and professionally. This is an excellent combination because it makes the job of the reference even easier to recommend you and sell your skills to a company. When they are able to describe your personality and how it meshes with co-workers and superiors at the office, this allows the potential employer to see how well you will fit in at their company.

Contact the top Kirkland recruiters at Smart Talent today to discuss how you should go about picking the best references possible for your job search.