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Developing: Checking References

When the applicant’s references are contacted, ideally, they will support your conclusions about the person you interviewed. You will want to understand the applicant’s work style and personality, as the MRC will require both professionalism and a personal commitment to a mission. This is why both personal and professional references are important.

Because many live in larger communities, we do not know one another in the context of a manageable network of relationships that might characterize a smaller town. Rather, we rely on references to help complete the picture we have of a person and get a sense of his or her strengths and weaknesses. In this way, references substitute for the direct, personal knowledge that will develop once you have begun to work with the applicant as an MRC volunteer. If you hear something that contradicts your impressions as you contact the applicant’s references, additional follow up with the applicant may be necessary.

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Last Updated on 8/21/2006