Getting a Job! for Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired: References
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CRYSTAL MELERO: Maybe you're wondering what references are. References are the names of people that you've known, perhaps from working together in the past, or an internship experience, or a volunteer position that you've held. It could be someone from your school, like a principal, a teacher, or a counselor. You can decide who to ask to serve as a reference for you and who would be willing to provide information about you to a potential employer. You should have the names and contact information for your references ready in case an employer asks for them. You should not automatically include references in your resume. Only provide them when they're asked for. When identifying the individuals who you would like to serve as a reference for you, you want to ask their permission to list their name and contact information so that the employer can contact them and learn a little bit more about you and your work history. Employers check references in order to determine if you are, in fact, the best qualified candidate for that job that you're applying for. Maybe you wonder if employers will even contact the references that you list. Employers will contact your references to verify your work history with different companies. Employers are also interested in talking with people who have supervised you or who have watched you at work and observed how well you're able to follow direction. You should know that for any position, employers receive a number of applicants from which they narrow the pool to the most qualified candidates-- let's say three-- who very likely have equal amounts of education and experience. And that's the point at which the employer begins to contact the references that each applicant has provided. They contact these people and begin to have discussions about each candidate's qualifications. They're able to learn more about all three candidates. And through those discussions, one of the candidates begins to rise to the top, and the employer realizes that they are the most qualified person for that position. After all, they want to hire someone who can do a good job for them. And since most employers will contact your references, that means that when you're listing your references, you need to make sure that the names, emails, and phone numbers that you provide are accurate and current. So whom should you ask to serve as a reference for you? You can't just ask anyone to be a reference. You need to ask people who know you personally. It is best to have somewhere in the range of three to five references listed, depending on your work history. But you should know that there are two different types of references that you can use. The first type of reference is called a "professional reference." These are people who have seen you at work and know your employability, how good of a job you would do if hired. This might be a former employer, a manager, or a supervisor. Another type of reference is called a "personal reference." These are people who are familiar with you and your abilities and who know what type of work you might be good at. There are a number of different people who could serve as a personal reference for you, perhaps a co-worker or a client, a teacher, or just an acquaintance-- someone who has seen what type of work you can do and knows what you're capable of. I do want to stress that your list of references should not include friends or family members. You also want to include a balance of professional, as well as personal references. If you don't have any work history to speak of, of course, then you would not have professional references to list, and instead, you would include personal references. It is important that you make sure, when you're identifying people to serve as your references, that you ask people if they're willing to serve as a reference for you and that they will put in a good word for you. You want to ask for people's explicit permission to list their name and contact information. If you are uncertain whether a person will speak well of you, it's best not to list them as a reference. Along your job search, you'll be collecting a number of different documents which you'll compile in a job-search portfolio. And your list of references, both professional and personal, should be included in your portfolio as well.
Now Playing As: English with English captions (change)
In this segment, viewers learn who to include on a reference list, the purpose of references, and what employers hope to learn from them. Segment host is Crystal Melero, who serves as the statewide services coordinator for children who are blind or have low vision. Part of the "Getting a Job for Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired!" training module.
Media Details
Runtime: 4 minutes 3 seconds
- Topic: Blind Life, Careers, Education
- Subtopic: Blind Education, Job Skills, Occupations
- Grade/Interest Level: 9 - 12
- Standards:
- Release Year: 2020
- Producer/Distributor: Described And Captioned Media Program
- Series: Getting a Job! for Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired
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