Whats Wrong With Personal References?
How could your sixth-grade teacher, next-door neighbor, or golfing buddy comment on your management style, responsibilities or the quality of your performance on the job? The answer: They can’t. Often, job seekers think a “personal” reference is someone they’ve worked with who also happens to be a personal friend. In my book, that’s a business or professional reference because of the work association. Personal references are people with whom you’ve never worked in a traditional job setting. They include everyone you know, except the people with whom you’ve actually worked on a day-to-day basis! While that may seem like splitting hairs, there is a difference. So what’s wrong with providing strictly personal references? Nothing, if you’re applying for a scholarship, but quite a lot if you’re applying for a job. Personal references can only comment on general topics. They might, for instance, be able to say what a nice person you are, what a wonderful sense of humor you have, or how much
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