Your 5 Best References to Lead You to the Best Jobs

Do references still matter in this day and age? The answer, quite simply, is yes.

While you don't have to list them on your resume anymore, meaning they can be provided completely by request, many employers will still ask you to provide at least 3 references for a review of your character, work ethic, and whatnot. Even after an excellent interview, most companies will still want to get in touch with individuals who have worked with you in some capacity, in order to judge how you are as a potential employee.

Finding the right people to ask to be your reference then is highly vital to your success in landing a job. So who do you ask? When you're looking for potential references, always think about your relationship with that person"”how much have they seen of your work, will they be comfortable enough to speak about you professionally, will they actually give you a glowing recommendation?

Here are the 5 best people to list as a reference.

1. Your college mentor

If you're a fresh grad and you haven't had previous experience working yet but you went through college with a mentor"”i.e., a professor with whom you had a close professional relationship with"”you can absolutely list that person as your reference. Your mentor has most likely seen you grow and evolve professionally, especially if they've seen you work on papers, group presentations, and your thesis. They will know how you are as you work individually, collaborate with people, and how you meet deadlines.

2. Your former employer

If you've established a professional work relationship with your former employer"”meaning, your boss but not exactly your immediate boss, you can list them as your reference. They will know in-depth what projects you had to work on, and they will have had expectations on how they want their employees to be and thus they can relay that to your new potential company.

3. Your thesis panelist or advisor

It may seem like an odd choice, but listing your thesis panelist as a reference is a good idea, especially if your college permits you to choose your own thesis reader or panelist. Usually, one's thesis reader has worked with the candidate to some degree, and because they have background on what topic that candidate spent a whole year writing, they will be of invaluable help as a reference. The same goes most especially for your thesis advisor. They've worked with you extensively on a major requirement for, again, an entire school year, so they will have knowledge on your work ethic, your character, your coping mechanisms when it comes to stress and pressure, and can even give remarks on your interests!

4. Your colleague"”past or present

Listing a colleague of yours as a reference is a good idea because it's also nice to have someone who wasn't necessarily your supervisor to give comments on your character and work ethic. Your colleague is a good peer reference of how you work with people who are the same level as you"”how you treat them, how you get along with them, how you collaborate with them. This will be helpful to your potential employer because then they will see if you jive well with others, or if you make a good team player.

If you're a fresh grad, you can even list former organization mates as a reference, so long as you have worked together extensively, like if you've managed a project with them on your team or if you co-created something in college.

5. Your supervisor

One final good reference to have is a supervisor"”and like your colleague, it can be someone from your past workplaces or someone from where you're working now. Your supervisor will be the most helpful reference because they will know firsthand how you are professionally: how you deal with deadlines, with stress and pressure, with other individuals, and how you are with regards to authority. In other words, they are your closest reference because they work with you most closely.

Like with your colleague, you can even list your supervisor from when you were an intern, if that's applicable, because they will have the same background and knowledge of you.

Generally, you can choose someone with whom you have a close professional relationship that's seen your character, work ethic, and deadline-meeting-persona when you think about who you approach to ask to be your reference. But the above-mentioned individuals are your best bet to land the job of your dreams!

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