[A102] 10/10 Would Hire: Get the Professional References You Deserve

Do you want a better job? You need professional references to help you reach the next level.

As always, who you know matters. You don’t necessarily need to know someone on the inside, but you do need to have references who matter. As you apply for jobs, make sure you have the right references to make a difference in your career search.

Concepts

• Reasons your professional references matter so much.
• How the right references can build your credibility.
• Tips for choosing the right people to serve as your references.
• The difference between personal references and professional references.
• How to approach potential references.
• Things you need to let your references know if you want to make the most of the situation.
• Why you need to be prepared to write your own letter of recommendation.
• What to do after your reference has agreed to help you out.
• Tips for leveraging your network down the road.

For this week's DO NOWs, we take a look at how you can identify professional references and practice how to approach them. Then we ask you to take action and make contact with one reference this week.

What happens if you don’t have anyone who can give you a good reference? This week’s reader question tackles the thorny issue of winning over a reluctant reference.