Who to use as a reference for a temp job?

March 10, 2013 1:20 PM

Do I have to use my direct supervisor as a reference?

I am another twentysomething with a B.A. navigating the world of temp work.

I've been doing a temp job at a great organization for the past 5 months as a receptionist and admin assistant. During that time I did a variety of different tasks for several different people, such as doing data entry for the accountants and promotional writing for the director of communications.

I did not have a lot of interaction with my direct supervisor and I don't think they have any idea what I'd been doing during work (receptionist duties were minimal). I should add that my contract is not being renewed because their usual receptionist is returning. When I was hired it was known that I would only be there for 5 months, and though I am sad it is over, that is something I knew going in.

So who would I use on my resume as a reference? I am going to be applying to basically any job that I am qualified for, although in an ideal world I would love to be paid for writing of some sort (I now have a bit of experience). The office was a very sociable place, and there was recently a big conference to organize, so I feel like I bonded well with quite a few of the employees. Is this just something I have to choose for myself, or is there some protocol that I should know about?

Thanks for your help!

posted by winterportage to Work & Money (3 answers total)

Best answer: Anyone who knows your work well and is above you in the hierarchy is fine to use as a reference.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:27 PM on March 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Pick someone who is familiar with your actual work (i.e. not the person you bonded with over Teen Wolf necessarily) and who you have a good relationship with. ASK THEM FIRST - ask if they would mind giving you a positive reference. As long as they're not going to say "Well, they're a good person, but I didn't really work directly with them," they're probably a usable reference.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:29 PM on March 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

You can ask the folks you worked with, but when I was job hunting I gave contacts at the temp agency as references. The folks you worked with may not be able to confirm employment, which is part of being a job-related reference (as opposed to a personal/character reference).

However, if you liked the company and got along with people, make it known that you're looking for work / would love to work there / would like to know about any appropriate openings that they hear about. I got my first permanent job because someone put in a word for me with her relative, and the second when a prior temp boss had a permanent position come open.
posted by momus_window at 2:33 PM on March 10, 2013