Resume Skills - Referees



Referees will show an employer that people are willing to vouch for you as a person. You should use previous employers or mature co workers. It's important to always notify the people you intend to list, so they can expect the call.

If you have no previous work experience it can be tricky finding someone. You may consider a teacher that you got along well with. If you have some time you could consider doing some volunteer work, not only will you benefit the community, but you can also get a handy referee or two up your sleeve.

If you have only worked at one workplace, asking an employer to be a referee is considered inappropriate in many instances. This is especially true if it is a professional workplace, for example you move from Accounting Company A to Accounting Company B. In this instance you could approach a co worker you trust to keep the information to themselves, if not it is probably best to look for other people outside of the organisation. If you ask someone and word gets to your boss, you may be treated unfavourably in many situations in your workplace. There are stories of people being bullied after word gets out of their planned move. This may seem like it's not so bad because you are leaving soon, but you might change your mind about leaving, or due to a dry employment market you may be forced into staying.