Your professional and personal references can also provide you with an excellent opportunity to develop initial company referrals. After you have dispensed with the formality of asking these persons to serve as your references and provide you with letters of recommendation, ask your references which companies they recommend that you contact. Ask for a recommendation of the top five employers in your field that you should definitely contact. And ask if there is a personal contact at the companies they could refer you to.

These people are not only serving your indirect needs as references, but they are also serving your more direct needs as referral sources in your new job search network.

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