The power of testimonials can elevate your career journey. Providing employers with testimonials regarding your knowledge, skills, experience, and work ethic can help unlock doors to enhance your professional path.
Offering testimonials during a job search helps you stand out from the competition. These documents include statements from former colleagues, coworkers, managers, and supervisors that support your level of expertise and credibility. These statements help position you as a well-qualified candidate for a role.
Discover how the power of testimonials can unlock doors to elevate your career journey.
Offer Reference Letters and Letters of Recommendation
Reference letters and letters of recommendation are testimonials that serve different purposes:
- Reference letters generally endorse your knowledge, skills, personality, and character. These letters are typically written by professors before graduation or supervisors of internships and are best for first-time job seekers.
- Letters of recommendation are tailored for a job opportunity. These letters are written by credible professionals whose recommendations will likely be acknowledged by an employer due to their credentials.
Reference Letters
You should request reference letters from diverse professors or supervisors. Because these letters are generic by nature, showing your different contributions and results helps clarify the value you can provide to an employer.
Letters of Recommendation
Based on the specificity of the letter and the credentials of the writer, a letter of recommendation is more likely to land you a job interview than a reference letter:
- A letter of recommendation typically includes detailed examples of your work that the writer found remarkable.
- You should back up these examples with a portfolio of your work.
- Each letter should provide diverse examples of your value to the organization.
Tips to Request Reference Letters or Letters of Recommendation
Implement these tips to ask for reference letters or letters of recommendation:
- Talk with your professors about writing reference letters.
- Contact your former colleagues, coworkers, managers, and supervisors through email or LinkedIn to request letters of recommendation. Include the job posting and highlighted information from the job description as a guide to writing the letter.
- Thank everyone for their time.
- Offer to help each individual when needed.
Would You Like to Elevate Your Career Journey?
Work with Connectology for ongoing guidance and support to help elevate your career journey. Visit our job board to get started today.
