MyLifeMyCareer.com

I know many people that still list relatives and parents of their friends down as references on applications and resumes. This may have worked for your first job bagging groceries or renting movies (those were the days), but now you need solid, professional references. The easiest way to obtain a good reference and more importantly, a mentor, is to get to know one of the professors that you really enjoy. Attend office hours enough to where you are comfortable enough to carry on conversations that do not revolve around school. If you enjoy and respect the opinions of this person, this should not be a task at all. You will probably get great advice for getting a 4.0 in the course, how to survive college, and more than enough tips for life after college. The other good reference would be from an employer on campus or the ultimate reference, your boss from a summer internship. Just ask for a reference letter at the end of your term of employment (assuming you did not get canned, and actually performed above average), and you will be money. Get around 3-6 reference letters that were written during your college years. If you are going for a full-time job, it's good to have them from the last 2 years of college. Not all employers will ask for the actual letters, but all of my applications required at least 3 references, phone numbers, and my relationship to that person. Obtain the letters just to have in case they are needed, or you can go down the risky route with no letters and grandma as your reference. Your choice.