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| How to Obtain and Use References and Recommendation Letters | | Print | |
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When you’re looking for a new job as a heavy equipment and truck mechanic, it’s essential you have several references and recommendation letters. However, depending on how good or bad these are, you can find yourself either as a potential top candidate for the job or with your application in the bin. Give yourself the best possible chance of landing the job by managing your references and using them to your advantage.
Who are potential good references for Heavy Equipment and Heavy Duty Truck Technicians and Management?
It’s a good idea to use an indirect form of communication when asking for a reference rather than speaking to the person face-to-face. This allows the other person the chance to refuse much more easily, which is actually what you want if they aren’t willing or able to provide a great letter of recommendation. If you’re unsure as to whether a potential referee will give you a glowing reference, judge the situation by asking if they feel they know your mechanical skills sufficiently to provide one. If they say no, you’ll almost certainly feel angered but don’t be. You should be thankful they have been honest. After all it’s a quality reference you want - anything less you can do without. If they had given a letter of recommendation that wasn’t glowing or that said they didn’t know you very well, this could have damaged your chances of winning that heavy equipment mechanic job you so wanted. As you change jobs throughout your career ask as many bosses and co-workers as possible for letters of recommendation that you can keep on file for future use. Vacancies have a habit of being snapped up quickly, often before you’ve had a chance to organize references, so it’s important to prepare well in advance. Each time you are working your notice period as you prepare to move to a new heavy equipment mechanic job, ask around for as many letters as you can possibly get. These can be stored on file and used for the next job you apply for, when they will be ready to send immediately. As well as having recommendation letters from bosses you should also have some from your co-workers and from anyone who has worked for you. Another great idea when asking for a reference is to ask each person to focus on a particular skill or area. You might ask one to concentrate on your leadership qualities, another on your team skills and yet another on your ability to work on your own initiative. By doing so you will have recommendations tailored to your skills not only as a heavy equipment mechanic but also to your ability to adapt within other areas. This is useful if the job post asks for specific qualities. The comment section is restricted to members only. |