What are they? How are they beneficial?
What do we use them for?
Before hiring, some companies and institutions ask applicants for professional references. They do so to learn about the applicant’s reputation, performance, and other aspects of their experience in their previous workplace.
These references are people with whom you have built a formal relationship at an old workplace or school, maybe worked on a common project together… They act as a reliable and credible source for your background, to the new workplace you’re applying for.
Thus, when applying for a job, you might be often asked to provide a list of 3 professional references.
These people can be:
- A former employer or supervisor
- A university instructor
- A senior study academic advisor
- A colleague
- A work project team member
Useful tip: Before graduating from university or leaving your workplace, make sure you tell one of your close instructors or supervisors that you will keep them as a professional reference for the future.
This way, if any person contacts them and asks about your evaluation, they would be immediately ready!
What you can also do is: ask for a recommendation letter which you can take and use for future job applications. This is very helpful and strengthens the person’s profile.
So whenever you’re asked about your professional references when filling out a job application or at a job interview, make sure you always have a list ready with personal details of each referenced where they can be contacted.