We know your family and friends love and adore you, but they are bias judges. Your only choice is to rely on summer jobs and superiors that managed you or internships where you reported to a particular person. If you volunteered, find someone who would know your capabilities and ask them to be a professional reference for you. Also you can ask teachers, counselors, coaches or work-study supervisors. Anyone who could document your responsible nature will be a viable reference for you. Even if you were a babysitter for a family during the summer, ask the parents to give examples of your responsible nature. Great resources are people with whom you worked for repeatedly. If you mowed lawns, ask the homeowner, maybe you caddied for the same person regularly or ask the Caddy Master.
Once you have decided who to use, which should be three to five individuals, contact them and ask permission to use them as a reference. If they say yes, you're golden. If they hesitate or say they really don't have time or don't know what to say, thank them graciously and say you understand. If they agree to be a reference, give them some guidelines on what would be valuable for them to share, so describe the job and what skills are needed. Most positions require the following:
Therefore, you want your references to talk about you truthfully and use examples that show how they know you are capable of delivering these skills and attributes. If you want, you can give them a written list and include your resume so they remember things like dates and your involvement in other activities.
A nice gesture is to thank your references with a quick short note. Let them know how much you appreciated their kind words and the time they took to talk about you to a prospective employer. Send this note after they have been contacted by the company and relate to them the outcome of your job search. As a reference, they have a vested interest in you.
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