help! letters of referenceHello everyone, I'm having a problem that keeps coming up. I saw a position that I was somewhat interested in applying for, but the organization requires 3 letters of references. I am not a huge fan of these, as I move jobs fairly often (usually stay 1-2 years at most) Anyway, I am finding that I keep trying to talk myself out of applying for the job. (I applied for 2 other jobs that I find much more promising and that don't require letters of references) My question is why really are letters of references needed (specifically, I'm trying to figure out whether I really even want this job and I feel like this may be a clue that perhaps it's not the best match) Also, what are the best ways to get these? I moved a couple of months ago, and at least one employer promised to write one but is the manager of a very busy office and hasn't gotten around to doing it. Last, is this something that I should be getting before I leave the position? I feel like this is something I just don't know a lot about, and I wonder how other folks handle this. For some reason, this has always been a tough issue for me, these darn letter of references. I always just feel really embarrased asking for them and don't understand the need for them honestly. Any help would be appreciated. My question is why really are letters of references needed...? Simply put? Because that' s their requirement. Period. From a more philosophical stand point, it is for their convenience. They don' t have to chase references around with phone calls. They don' t have to mess with employers that won' t give references. They don' t have to waste time on candidates who have been fired from their last 3 jobs. On the bigger level, references are required in some fashion (written or verbal) because employers want to know that you did well enough at your last job that someone there will actually say so. Do you really not get why that is valuable to a future employer? I agree that letters of reference are not the best form of reference in the world, because just about anybody with cahunas of steel and a feloneous soul can write a letter and pass it off as being from someone they worked with. However, letters of reference (all references, actually) are needed because they give the hiring company a sense of the person they are considering for the job. For example: Is that person reliable, punctual, personable? Does that person get the job done and done correctly? Does the person have behavour issues that affect how they interact with clients, co-workers and mangaement? Has the person been caught in any unethical or immoral situations? Now all of this and more can be done over the phone or through fax but some company's do want to know sooner rather than later what others would say about you. If you really and truly want to apply for that job, then go ahead with a little blurb stating that you don't posess any written letters but here are the names of people you can contact. If your resume really interests them, they will contact these people. It can't hurt as long as you are clear that you may be pushed to the wayside for not including the letters. And, yes, it is easier (and may be better for you) to get the actual letter before you leave. Many times that is not possible, though, because of the situation surrounding your leaving. For example, what if you received another job offer and the very fact that you did upset your supervisor of that time and he/she told you not to bother with working out your 2 weeks notice. That supervisor isn't going to give you a letter of reference. As a general rule of thumb, you should only apply to the jobs that interest you. If you apply just for the sake of applying, you may be taking an interview away from someone who has more interest in the position than you. This cannot always be helped, though, and if you can afford to pick and choose, then do it. | |
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