How to Win the Job by Communicating with Confidence

Winding Up Your Strategy

To get someone to act as a reference for you, I sug-

gest asking very simply, “Would you feel comfort-

able acting as a reference for me?”

If the person says yes, that’s great. Tell her a little bit about the
types of jobs you are aiming for, then write a thank-you note.
Send your résumé with it. Sometimes when you ask someone to
act as a reference, she says no. This can happen for a number of
reasons; most likely, she will tell you she “doesn’t know your work
well enough.” Don’t insist—move along to your next prospect.
The first person probably wouldn’t have given you a particularly
good reference anyway.
Bear in mind that many companies, especially large corpo-
rations, do not allow managers, supervisors, or any member of
their staff to recommend an employee, either in written or verbal
form. If it happens that you can’t get verbal references or written
recommendations from someone in your last company, try the
company before that one. And then, the ones before those.

If you’re having trouble arranging work-related

references, other forms of references might be

character references and academic references.

You might also try the following:

• Ask someone you know who has a solid reputation in the
  community to act as a reference to your honesty, your
  integrity, and your dependability.


• Ask a former teacher or professor to write a letter about
  your ability to solve problems, learn quickly, and meet
  deadlines.


• Ask a member of a club, volunteer, or sports group to
  which you belong to attest to your skills and character.