• Best of luck to the class of 2024 for their HSC exams. You got this!
    Let us know your thoughts on the HSC exams here
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page
MedVision ad

Importance of High School Reference (1 Viewer)

RofL

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2009
Messages
33
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
How much does a high school reference matter when searching for a job. This includes part time job during uni years and after uni.
 

ambermorn

Tic Tac addict.
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
632
Location
Hills District
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
I would personally view more recent referees (especially superiors at work/supervisors at uni) to be of much more importance.

Usually the resumes that are handed into me (students applying for retail) only have high school references if they do not have work experience, so they haven't been too highly regarded as a result.

If you don't have many other referees, keep it. Eventually you'll network with different people and the high school reference will become outdated.
 

Riet

Tomcat Pilot
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
3,622
Location
Miramar, CA
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
I would personally view more recent referees (especially superiors at work/supervisors at uni) to be of much more importance.

Usually the resumes that are handed into me (students applying for retail) only have high school references if they do not have work experience, so they haven't been too highly regarded as a result.

If you don't have many other referees, keep it. Eventually you'll network with different people and the high school reference will become outdated.
Just because someone has no work experience means they are not worth your time? That's a bit unfair IMO.
 

tommykins

i am number -e^i*pi
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
5,730
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
Just because someone has no work experience means they are not worth your time? That's a bit unfair IMO.
Agreed. I generally dislike the whole workforce looking for 'experienced workers' yet they aren't even willing to provide workers with any experience in the first place.

If that makes sense.
 

ambermorn

Tic Tac addict.
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
632
Location
Hills District
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
Just because someone has no work experience means they are not worth your time? That's a bit unfair IMO.
It's nothing personal against the applicant, we are often on our own at my work and are thrown into the deep end from the get go. There's a high level of personal responsibilty and intensity with sales targets, it's not really a job that a first timer can survive in. We're not talking checkouts here.

Of course, for those with no work experience a high school reference is fine, but it does become irrelevent after time.
 
Last edited:

Lydia_88

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2010
Messages
228
Gender
Female
HSC
2006
id also agree with the above post. i find it better to have an employer and a uni reference. but when i was looking for my first part time, then id go with high school references.

high school references, o.k for a first part time job. However, once you start uni and your job and graduate you are far better off with your employer and uni staff, especially when applying for full time, graduate positions. Be involved with volunteering in uni, and also, do get to know the staff who teach your classes or the person in charge of the volunteering. Update, update your resume as you pick up new skills! (this ones a bit obvious lol)

Oh and once you finish uni, ditch the high school details (i.e what school you went to and the references) as they will become quite irrelevant, as what i have found.
 
Last edited:

SnowFox

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
5,455
Location
gone
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
I would personally view more recent referees (especially superiors at work/supervisors at uni) to be of much more importance.

Usually the resumes that are handed into me (students applying for retail) only have high school references if they do not have work experience, so they haven't been too highly regarded as a result.

If you don't have many other referees, keep it. Eventually you'll network with different people and the high school reference will become outdated.

Asshole.
 

Lydia_88

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2010
Messages
228
Gender
Female
HSC
2006
for those who are trying to find a part time job that can use high school references, you are better off starting at a basic type job i.e maccas, kfc, any food franchise or checkouts or any stores like cotton on, target, kmart. Once you start building experience, then you can start applying for better positions and that you can use that reference from that workforce...you gotta start at the bottom to build to the top....again that depends on the type of places you want to apply...

my first job was cotton on during xmas, so that did give me a bit of expereince (btw, it was 3 years ago..)...

when i think about higher end stores, employers want to know that you have the experience or skills to prove that you are worthy of the position. Some stores want mature age or minded staff, who are capable of reaching targets, with evidence and can call previous employers as a reference to make sure that they are suitable for the job. some jobs even want a specific years of experience in that area........same applies for any other areas like hospitality, education etc......it all comes down to the employers criteria......

just start off somewhere, no matter where, and you will see better opportunities rise when you gain more expereince......this is just something that i have learned over my uni years......

Keep on searching, and one day, someone WILL be willing to give you a go....
 
Last edited:

SnowFox

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
5,455
Location
gone
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
Im sorry but after applying for ~30 different types of jobs ranging from fastfood to working at a major telco i only had two get back to me. One said i was to old to be trained, and the other atleast had a legit reason and said to practice on my physics.
 

ambermorn

Tic Tac addict.
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
632
Location
Hills District
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
What, bitter because you keep getting rejected? There's a shortage of positions out there, it's not a fucking walk in the park.

1. It's not my fucking shop.
2. We still trial the kids, but they have all sucked so bad at working EVEN WHEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS that they hire people with experience anyway. Fact of life.
3. We get a pile of resumes a week. Like we're going to hire the worst pick of the bunch, experienced or not.
4. It's not an easy job. Go to McDonalds or elsewhere if you have no experience. This aint the same shit.
5. Employers will find any reason to reject someone. They want either want cheap wages, or people they can put in charge from day dot.

I'd reject you too with your attitude. Fuck off.
 
Last edited:

SnowFox

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
5,455
Location
gone
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
What, bitter because you keep getting rejected? There's a shortage of positions out there, it's not a fucking walk in the park.

1. It's not my fucking shop.
2. We still trial the kids, but they have all sucked so bad at working EVEN WHEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS that they hire people with experience anyway. Fact of life.
3. We get a pile of resumes a week. Like we're going to hire the worst pick of the bunch, experienced or not.
4. It's not an easy job. Go to McDonalds or elsewhere if you have no experience. This aint the same shit.
5. Employers will find any reason to reject someone. They want either want cheap wages, or people they can put in charge from day dot.

I'd reject you too with your attitude. Fuck off.
My attitude? Im stating facts. Everyone is blaming Generation Y for being the laziest to date, but fuck, if we go out and try to apply for a job, we are automatically getting dropped on our ass' because of exactly what you just said.

I'm 18.

I have applied for Macdonalds, KFC, Red Rooster, Coles, Target, Kmart, Telstra Optus, Restuarants, local small business' etc etc. Only two got back me, as i've said.

I wasnt able to work during Highschool, when i finished my HSC i actively located job advertisements and applied for them, but none of them even get back to me. So whos lazy? Me for actively going out, looking for jobs? Or you pompish fucks who disregard any HSC leaver who has job references without even giving the person a fair go?
 

SpoonSamba

Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
280
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
My attitude? Im stating facts. Everyone is blaming Generation Y for being the laziest to date, but fuck, if we go out and try to apply for a job, we are automatically getting dropped on our ass' because of exactly what you just said.

I'm 18.

I have applied for Macdonalds, KFC, Red Rooster, Coles, Target, Kmart, Telstra Optus, Restuarants, local small business' etc etc. Only two got back me, as i've said.

I wasnt able to work during Highschool, when i finished my HSC i actively located job advertisements and applied for them, but none of them even get back to me. So whos lazy? Me for actively going out, looking for jobs? Or you pompish fucks who disregard any HSC leaver who has job references without even giving the person a fair go?
AMEN! I'm in the same boat. Its a hole due to dumbass dickheads.
 

RDX

one8seven
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
1,092
Location
Melbourne
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
Uni Grad
2011
How much does a high school reference matter when searching for a job. This includes part time job during uni years and after uni.
it can be important for your first job, but after uni I don't plan to use my high school references.
 

spence

Active Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
1,640
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
My attitude? Im stating facts. Everyone is blaming Generation Y for being the laziest to date, but fuck, if we go out and try to apply for a job, we are automatically getting dropped on our ass' because of exactly what you just said.

I'm 18.

I have applied for Macdonalds, KFC, Red Rooster, Coles, Target, Kmart, Telstra Optus, Restuarants, local small business' etc etc. Only two got back me, as i've said.

I wasnt able to work during Highschool, when i finished my HSC i actively located job advertisements and applied for them, but none of them even get back to me. So whos lazy? Me for actively going out, looking for jobs? Or you pompish fucks who disregard any HSC leaver who has job references without even giving the person a fair go?
Out of curosity, why weren't you able to work during highschool?
 

yoddle

is cool
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
1,129
Location
nowhere man
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
I was just cleaning my room and found an envelope with a shopping list on it, opened it up and discovered my high school reference inside. Oh my god it was the nicest thing I've ever read... "yoddle has a considerable intellect and is a gifted student who is intuitive and articulate ... he is well respected for his individuality and sincerity of purpose ... he continues to offer his countless gifts to those he encounters".

I want to keep that permanently attached to my resume for as long as i live.
 

vantastic

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
84
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
According to my careers advisor, your high school reference is incredibly important. he said that its better to get a bad reference than no reference.
 

Universalis

New Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2009
Messages
14
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
"yoddle has a considerable intellect and is a gifted student who is intuitive and articulate ... he is well respected for his individuality and sincerity of purpose ... he continues to offer his countless gifts to those he encounters".
Lol, you do realise high school teachers recycle references and write similar things for virtually everyone regardless of how they went, right?
 

chefman21

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
123
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
It's nothing personal against the applicant, we are often on our own at my work and are thrown into the deep end from the get go. There's a high level of personal responsibilty and intensity with sales targets, it's not really a job that a first timer can survive in. We're not talking checkouts here.

Of course, for those with no work experience a high school reference is fine, but it does become irrelevent after time.
Exactly, it's okay when you first get out, but after you have had a couple of jobs it becomes irrelevant. I've got probably 6-8 or so references now and it's become my last.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top