Good References for Your Resume
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008A lot of job seekers indicate references are available upon request on their resume. A good employer will often time check references before hiring you. Some people moan about the thought of someone calling an ex-coworker or a previous employer. These are reasons to always have good work ethic in both the entrance stage of a job as well as your exit.
When choosing a good reference, one name that should always be at the top of your list is a former executive or manager. When it comes to references, title and position can make a good impression. Consider asking one of the directors in your former job for a reference. If your work was exceptional, most executives will allow you to use them as a reference.
Friends and family are normally frowned upon for references, but everyone has that one friend from their former job who will give them a good reference. My team lead software designer hasn’t been in the business for ages, but she’s always willing to give me a good reference for a future job. Just a simple email or phone call is all she has to endure every couple of years when I’m in the interviewing phase.
Finally, make sure to keep in contact with former co-workers. Perhaps it’s just the IT industry since we all go through hard times, but my former partners have been nothing but supportive in all my career phases. We all have a small clique that has our phone numbers published for any reference needed. Good co-worker friends are hard to find.
