How to Be an Excellent Reference
By Vicki Salemi
The next time an outstanding colleague on your team resigns or your fantastic mentor moves on to another role, think about how you can help them with testimonials. We often think about who will be our references and who can ultimately sing our praises to future employers, but we never think about how beneficial it is to pay it forward.
Many people think of a reference as an afterthought as they're completing employment applications and need to give three names that can serve as references. But if you take this proactive approach, there are several tactful ways you can be an excellent reference and help former colleagues advance their careers:
