Who should I have as a reference?

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RetroGamer87
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24 Oct 2014, 1:28 am

I think I need to take one of the references off of my resume. But then there'll only be one left. I need two right? Or do I need three? Well I had two to start with so know only one remains. I've only ever had one job and I can't ask someone else from my old job without arousing their suspicion so who from outside work can be a reference? Or who do people who've never worked use for their references?


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Solvejg
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24 Oct 2014, 2:43 am

best references.....

teacher
church minister
leader of a club
parental friend


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RetroGamer87
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24 Oct 2014, 6:33 am

Good ideas. I'm sure the minister will give me a good reference and the leader from one of the clubs I'm involved in should as well.

How many references do I need in total? What is the standard amount.


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AspergersActor8693
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24 Oct 2014, 8:04 am

Weather it be for a job or something school related, these are my best sources for references.

Bosses from previous jobs
Church Pastor or equivalent for your faith
Teachers
Heck, if you are on good terms with them try for a school principal. One of my three letters of recommendation for my transfer to a University came from my HS principal. If you can get that that is a recommendation not many other have or can get.
Someone in charge of a group/organization you are a part of. An example being for me my troop leader for my troop in the Boy Scouts Of America

I think in terms of a standard amount it is usually 2-3 references recommended. Don't have different people from the same place though, like three teachers as references from the same school.



RetroGamer87
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24 Oct 2014, 8:17 am

School principles? Some of them hate me and some of them don't know I exist but some of the pastas here like me. I volunteer for one and I went to school with another one's son.


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MissDorkness
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24 Oct 2014, 8:40 am

RetroGamer87 wrote:
School principles? Some of them hate me and some of them don't know I exist but some of the pastas here like me. I volunteer for one and I went to school with another one's son.

:lol: I was mostly invisible, but occasionally hated, too.

My best reference came from my TechEd teacher. :wink: He used some wicked reverse psychology about women not belonging in men's classes to spur me to sign up for every single class he offered; mechanical drafting, architectural drafting, animation, html coding, graphic design. I kinda saw through the ruse when he started paying for my course and competition fees because my parents wouldn't.



RetroGamer87
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24 Oct 2014, 9:46 am

Damn, I should've gone to your school. Mine was sort off... the opposite of that.

Wait, do you mean school as in high school or school as in college?


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kraftiekortie
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24 Oct 2014, 10:08 am

I'd have at least 2 or 3 references on my resume. Or what people in other areas call a CV.

College professors are excellent references at times. High school teachers less so, especially when the resume-bearer is 27 years of age.

Can't you just tell the interviewer that you took care of your mother or something--and have your mother confirm this?

If you volunteered at something related to your future job, your supervisor would be an excellent reference.



MissDorkness
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24 Oct 2014, 11:47 am

RetroGamer87 wrote:
Damn, I should've gone to your school. Mine was sort off... the opposite of that.

Wait, do you mean school as in high school or school as in college?

High school. I never had repeat teachers in college (except one english professor who was always bullying me, managed to have her at Uni AND community college.



izzeme
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27 Oct 2014, 4:29 am

teachers are a good reference indeed, also friends and perhaps some people you volunteerd with (if any).

as for the amount, 2-3 listed is considered 'standard', with perhaps the annotation that more are available (if any).
of course, the listed ones should be relevant to the job you are applying to, if possible.

now, while this is standard, it is not recommended; if you only had one job, you are not expected to have an extended list of references, just make sure to clearly mention the lack of prior employers as a reason for the short reference list



FMX
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27 Oct 2014, 7:14 am

Having 2 referees is fine, but quality is far more important than quantity here. Even 1 good referee is better than 3 mediocre ones. They'll probably only call one of them anyway and you don't which one. So if you have 2 people who you're sure will give you good references and 1 you're unsure about, you don't want them calling that one, do you?

Keep in mind what the prospective employer wants to know when they call the referee: how well can you do the job? A teacher may know your strengths well enough to give them something meaningful. A church minister/pastor is unlikely to, unless you've actually done some work for the church. Church ministers, in particular, are quite useless as referees, because they're supposed to be all about unconditional love and acceptance and the employers know this. ("Yeah, the kid stole a few cars... but he has a good heart... God will sort him out!" :lol:) Friends and parents' friends are also unlikely to know you in a professional capacity and are likely to say nice things just for the sake of the friendship, so they're also poor referees from an employer's point of view.

Also, I'd suggest not listing your referees' phone numbers on your resume. Just say "contact details available on request". This gives you advance warning if they're actually going to call someone and allows you to contact them first and tell them about the job, which can be give them some helpful context for qualities or experience they should talk about. It's also just courteous to your referees and makes it harder for recruiters to bother them with sales pitches (yes, they do this!)


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