What can references be useful for you?

From the beginning of your career, you complete your own portfolio of documents - diplomas, certificates, employment certificates. Sometimes you additionally put in there references obtained from previous employers. Are they really useful? Let's check.

References in the recruitment process

In the recruitment process, at least at the beginning, the most important thing is the candidate's CV. Thanks to this, the recruiter has the opportunity to learn about the education and experience of a potential employee, as well as the soft skills presented by him. At the same time, however, it is worth remembering that the recruiter and candidate do not always have the same goals - the first wants to hire the best person for a given position, the second - to get a job and beat the other candidates.

Therefore, the interview and additional selection methods are aimed at verifying the accuracy of the CV of the potential employee. References can also be a way to supplement knowledge about the candidate. They are not always used in the recruitment process - sometimes the people conducting the selection do not consider them necessary, sometimes they focus on more detailed and strict recruitment within the company. What if the testimonials prove to be useful? It is worth checking how to get the most reliable.

Where to get references?

It is commonly believed that the credentials are issued primarily by the boss, manager or immediate supervisor. Indeed, this is very often the case, but if a recruiter is looking for information about a candidate in previous places of employment, information from other competent people may also be a tasty morsel. Therefore, also references from co-workers, subordinates, and especially clients or contractors, can have significant value.

It is worth paying attention to the form of the reference. Until recently, reference letters made with a stamp on company paper were the most popular. Currently, this type of documentation can be found, especially in the case of internships or graduate apprenticeships. At the same time, however, references on the Internet, provided on specialized portals, are becoming more and more popular. The created account, supported by good opinions, means more and more for inquisitive recruiters.

Attention! On the internet portals for building business contacts, you can not only collect opinions about yourself, but you can also evaluate. Issuing a reference to another employee, as well as providing an opinion about the company, is now becoming a more and more frequent practice.

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