Should I ask for a reference?

Yes, absolutely! One of my clients is leaving her job and was curious about when and whom to ask for a reference. The broad answer is to ask those who like you and respect your work. Ask them for it now when you don’t need it.

The problem is most of us don’t consider requesting a recommendation unless we think we are going to need it in the very near future. Then we are stuck waiting for the other person to get around to writing it while we impatiently tap our nails on the desk.

Waiting until you are unemployed, under-employed or desperate for a new job is the worst time to hit up your network for a recommendation. Your confidence is inevitably lower when you “need” the reference. This may impact your willingness to ask for it or remind others of the on-the-job successes you would like highlighted. It also means that some of your most important accomplishments are likely in the rearview mirror and are therefore harder for your reference to accurately recall.

Here are some often-overlooked opportunities to ask for a testimonial about your work:

1. You recently earned a promotion. This is the perfect time to ask your boss or mentor to comment in writing on your career advancement and to highlight the most important factors that contributed to your promotion.

2. You just completed a high-profile project that was a great success. Ask your manager to write a recommendation on LinkedIn, recommend you for a company award and/or document your contribution in your personnel file. In addition, make your own notes about the achievement and capture the positive outcome so it isn’t overlooked in your next performance appraisal. Update your resume and include it. Do it now, before you forget about it and move on to the next challenge.

3. You completed work for a high-profile client who is very pleased with your work. Tell him how much it would mean to you if he sent your manager a quick email (and copied you on it) sharing how excited he is with the project’s outcome. He might also be willing to write a recommendation for you on LinkedIn.

4. You have just accepted a cool new job. Before you walk away from the old job, ask your colleagues to reflect on their experience working with you and to share their thoughts in a LinkedIn recommendation. You can do the same for them and everybody wins. Prior to leaving, ask mentors and colleagues for a letter of recommendation. Never mind that you already have a new job, their recommendations might come in handy in the future. You can never have too many people singing your praises. Addressing this now will save you the trouble of tracking these folks down in the future when they’ve moved on or their memories aren’t as accurate or their motivation to help as strong.

Once you leave an organization it is harder to get a reference. People are sometimes less willing to provide one and they get busy, they have other priorities, so your request may end up on the back burner. The time to get that recommendation is now!

Mary Jeanne Vincent, a career expert and strategist, has a coaching practice in Monterey. She may be reached at 831-657-9151, mjv@careercoachmjv.com, or www.careercoachmonterey.com.