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March 29, 2024, 08:19:10 am

Author Topic: Referees  (Read 2145 times)  Share 

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JR_StudyEd

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Referees
« on: December 12, 2019, 07:49:24 pm »
+1
If a job application form asks for a 'personal' referee, who do I ask? I always thought you weren't allowed to include relatives as referees.
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Snow Leopard

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Re: Referees
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2019, 07:53:18 pm »
+6
Generally, teachers are quite good to list as referees.

JR_StudyEd

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Re: Referees
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2019, 08:00:26 pm »
+2
Generally, teachers are quite good to list as referees.

See, the application form asked for two referees. One personal and one business or academic. Since I've never had a proper job before (apart from one week of Year 10 work experience), having a business referee wouldn't make sense. I've already put an academic referee down (one of my Year 12 teachers, obviously). So what I'm asking is who would I put as my 'personal' referee? Would a family member be okay in this case?
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Aaron

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Re: Referees
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2019, 08:06:59 pm »
+2
For personal references, I usually put down my friend that I went to uni with who knows how hard I work. I personally wouldn't do a family member.

Are you involved in any clubs etc. outside of school? What about any community service? I'd classify that as personal.

You have to understand that in most cases, referees are only contacted if you make it to the final stage (e.g. interview) and there's a possibility of you getting the position. Sometimes referees are used as the deciding factor as to whether or not to shortlist you. They don't call every single referee for all applicants.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2019, 08:08:40 pm by Aaron »
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zuijinde

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Re: Referees
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2019, 08:13:19 pm »
0
For personal references, I usually put down my friend that I went to uni with who knows how hard I work. I personally wouldn't do a family member.
Would friends be acceptable though? I always thought that people you have direct relationships will tend to be biased and will vouch for you.
For personal referees, I personally go for people that I am not too close with, for example, a sporting coach or a tutor.

Aaron

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Re: Referees
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2019, 09:37:58 pm »
+3
Would friends be acceptable though? I always thought that people you have direct relationships will tend to be biased and will vouch for you.
For personal referees, I personally go for people that I am not too close with, for example, a sporting coach or a tutor.
It depends on the context. The friend I am referring to is one where we worked together on significant uni projects so they can vouch for my ability to work as part of a team etc... if the friend is just a friend and that's it, then obviously this is different. If they can shed light on your attributes as a person and whether you could do the job, I don't see why not. I haven't had a problem with this in the past (at least my own experiences, could be different for others).

It's also worth noting that as a school-age student, it can often be tough to find referees in general, especially if they don't have those established connections e.g. sporting/club affiliation etc.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2019, 09:44:10 pm by Aaron »
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codsta769

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Re: Referees
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2019, 09:52:04 pm »
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Hi JR_StudyEd,

My advice is in terms of a resume, never ever write referees in your resume. However, you should still have a heading at the end of the resume but instead of actually writing the referees, write "can be given upon request" and nothing more. This is because if you do write your referees, this means that the employer can instantly contact your listed people before interviewing you, which may lead toyour referee answering the phone by either not knowing what to say about you, or not knowing that you used them as a referee in the first place. This could have a negative effect on your application. If you write "can be given upon request", this means that the employer will likely ask for your referees after interviewing you, and when you are on the final stage of your application, allowing you the time to warn your referees to expect a call from the employer, and as a result, they will already have things in mind for them to say about you. Furthermore it will allow you to change your referees per job, as different referees may be more beneficial in a particular job, but not to another. I am a Human Resources Student, and we have been taught that this is the most proffessional thing to do.

In terms of in an application and you do not have a way to avoid not giving your referees, i guess you kind of have no choice.

Previous comments have people saying if you could use a relative for a referee, i would say to keep your relatives out unless you have no one else. Since most people reading this are probably fresh out of high school, a teacher may also be a good option.

In your case, a good personal referee could be a friend from school, or anyone you have worked with in the past who would say positive things about you.

Good luck with your job searching.
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Re: Referees
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2019, 10:01:40 pm »
+5
Quote
or not knowing that you used them as a referee in the first place.
This should never occur because you shouldn’t be listing anyone as a referee without checking with them first.

A lot of online job applications will ask for your referees up front & as someone who’s been on interview panels, providing referees was always preferred.
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