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Your referees are very important in the job seeking process. Most people focus on presenting their qualifications, skills and experience and spend little time deciding who should be their referees. But choosing a good referee can make all the difference. If you choose the wrong person, you might be rejected from jobs that were perfect for you.
What do referees do?
Referees provide extra information that lets a potential employee know about your work history, your skills ,experience and character. This information reinforces what you have written on your CV by giving someone else’s word that your claims are accurate.
However, your referee can also be asked to give an opinion on your character, commenting on factors such as your reliability and punctuality.
Occasionally employers ask for a character reference only, but usually they want to hear about aspects of your work history and your character.
Who can be your referee?
Work-related references are generally more potent than personal ones since they can attest to the way you operate and what you are capable of. It’s best to choose someone who is senior to you, rather than a peer, but make sure the person you choose is someone you have worked closely with.
Choosing from your most recent place of employment is ideal, however this can be problematic if you don’t want your current employer to know you are looking to move on. Most interviewers understand if a reference can’t be provided from where you are currently working, but try to make your choice as up to date as possible.
Never choose family member, fiancé, friend of the family or a neighbor unless they have specific knowledge of your work
The best references are written by people who know you well, so pick the person you worked most closely with at your last job, or the lecturer who you got on best with.
Obviously it helps if you had a friendly working relationship with them too. Choose someone who will write a sympathetic reference and be as positive about you as possible.
How to choose Referees?
It is good etiquette to ask for people’s permission to act as your referee before giving their name to a potential employer; this ensures that you are not in an awkward position when a referee in your CV does not even remember your existence
Some people will act as referee for you for several years. Others might be only suitable when you apply for a particular type of job. Think about what each person can say about you and whether their knowledge of you is relevant to the particular job you’re applying for.
You must give your referees’ names and contact details at the bottom of your CV.
Write a thank you note or phone your referees to let them know the outcome of your job search. This is just common courtesy, but it will also mean they will be more likely to help you out again if need be.
Read Also>>>> How To Perfect Your CV In 7 Easy Steps & Start Getting Interviews
How many do I need?
According to professional CV writer Margaret Komora of Corporate Staffing services,Most people have three referees, this is the standard requirements by majority of employers in Kenya.
Reference myths:
1. It is illegal to provide a bad reference!
Of course referees cannot lie about you. They must not say bad things about you that are not true, but if they genuinely feel that you are not suited for that job they can say so. Most referees will refuse to act for you if they feel that they would have to write a bad reference.
A Must Read >>>>Signs Your CV Is The Reason You Are Not Getting Interviews
2. An applicant has the right to see his/her references
A referee can request that his or her reference is kept secret, but in many cases referees will be happy to disclose their reference to you. You may even be shown the reference in advance before it is sent to the potential employer.
If an employee feels their chances have been affected by a bad reference that has been marked as confidential, they can appeal that decision and the potential employer might be forced to reveal the reference.
Victor is a content writer at career point Kenya email him victor@careerpointkenya.co.ke
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