Asking for Recommendations - How?
What I'd like to do is ask my references for a recommendation to have on hand to give to anyone who asks during my job search (as opposed to having them call/contact them every time, which I imagine will get very old very quickly as I begin my job search). My only concern is that my having seen a copy of the rec beforehand will invalidate it in the eyes of the co. and they won't accept this. Is this something I should be able to do, or will most companies/organizations not accept a recommendation this way?
If that is the case, how do I reconcile asking my references to do several recommendations (either phone or written)? I feel like my job search shouldn't become such a large burden/inconvenience for them (my job history is limited, so I don't have a wide pool of references to choose from). Can anyone offer any advice in this area?
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Answers
(2)You could ask your references to type up a letter and put it in a sealed envelope (usually they can sign over the seal so its obvious if it was opened). It would be fairly easy for your references to print several copies and seal each copy in a separate envelope and recruiters should look at it favorably, although they may still want the contact info of the reference.
@edesauss: You're definitely on the right track thinking about references. And to your point, you should certainly request a letter of reference whenever you finish any work experience. However, I wouldn't worry about people discrediting a letter of reference because you may have seen it. References are really a "check-the-box" kind of step in the job hunt. Potential future employers just want to make sure that your prior boss(es) respect you enough to write a letter (and thus recommend you). In addition, most times, potential employers won't even ask for a letter. Instead, they'll just ask for the contact info of a reference, and then give them a ring (or give them a ring after asking for a letter). In regards to requesting several, I agree with @lovellv12 above.
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