Collect References
References support the claims you make in your cover letter and resumé. If you say that you have "excellent keyboarding skills" you should have a reference who can attest to that statement because they have seen you keyboarding quickly and accurately. If you say that you have "strong presentation skills" you need to have someone who has observed your presentations and agrees that your skills are strong.
It is usual to have 3 references in your application package. Listing more than five references is probably too many. There are 2 kinds of references: professional references (to do with work and skills) and character references (to do with who you are and your personal qualities.)
Who Can I Ask to be a Reference?
Ideally, you would have 3 professional references. If you have little or no work experience, try to have at least 2 professional references and 1 character reference. Think about volunteer experiences, or teams or groups you belong to, in addition to any work experiences. Depending on the skills required by the job you are applying for, you can ask supervisors, co-workers, teachers, coaches, clients or customers - anyone you've done any work for. It’s a good idea to give your reference a copy of your resumé.
When asking someone if they will provide a reference for you, consider being specific about what you think they can say about you. For example, say to a teacher, "you've seen me do a number of class presentations. Do you think you could act as a reference to answer questions about my presentation skills?" Some "bosses" don't actually see you doing your job. While they might be the Manager or the President of the company, if they can't answer questions about how you do your job, they won't make a good reference. If someone has been your direct supervisor at your part time job for the last two and a half years and has actually observed you doing your job, that person can probably answer a lot of questions about your work habits, your communication skills, your knowledge of policy and procedure, your accuracy level, and so on.
Be sure to talk with your references to find out their contact information, the most convenient way to contact them, and the best times. Give them a copy of your resumé and talk with them about the skills and abilities you have that they would feel comfortable discussing with a potential employer. If they are difficult to contact, perhaps they will write a Letter of Reference for you instead. If you are sending out "broadcast" letters and resumés to several companies at one time, your references should be aware of that. Also, if you are including your references with your resumé, check to see that your references are okay with that. Remember, you are giving personal information about other people to strangers, and not everyone is comfortable with that.
Reference Letters
Remember to ask for a reference letter from current employers, customers, supervisors or co-workers. Once you leave a job, you may lose contact with those people, or the company may close or move away. You can forward copies of reference letters with your resumé IF the letter's content is applicable to the job you are applying for.
