When you are starting the job search one of the things you will need to consider is who to use for references or ask to write recommendations for you. Asking the right people to write you a recommendation is an important part of your financial modeling job search. You want to make certain you are asking the right questions to ensure you will be getting a great recommendation.
First, try and decide who would make a good reference for you. You will want personal as well as work references. You will want to have people who have known you a long time as well as recent supervisors or colleagues that can talk about your current work ethic and responsibilities.
Next, call and personally ask your potential reference if they feel comfortable writing you a recommendation. This is important as you want to make sure you are not asking someone that doesn’t feel they will write you a good recommendation. A good way to ask a potential reference is to say “Do you feel comfortable with your knowledge of my work to write a good recommendation for me?” This gives the person a way to politely say no if they feel they would not be able to write a good recommendation for you.
Lastly, you will want to make sure you have gotten your references in line before you get into the thick of the job search process. You don’t want to be scrambling to get references at the last minute. It looks much more professional if you already have recommendation letters available or have names and contact information ready if you are asked to supply references in an interview.