Character references:

 

We ask for two character references in your application to tutor with us. These can be anyone you trust; friends, family members, people you’ve worked with or past-teachers.

References are valuable because:

  • It shows you are serious about the job you are applying for. Letting your friends or family know you are applying for a job means it is something you really want – and this means a lot to us.
  • It allows your references to let us know if they have any hesitations about recommending you, ensuring only the highest quality tutors work with us at Alchemy.
  • Having reached out to two different character references gives additional peace of mind for the families we support. It is just one of the things we do to keep our students safe and supported by the best.
  • It is recommended by the office of the children’s guardian. Dual references are a recommendation they make to further protect young people.
  • It naturally deters those that are not serious or the best choice to work with our students.

We aim to make life as simple as possible for everyone, so all we do is send one email to each of your references giving them an opportunity to voice their apprehensions if they have any.

They will receive an email much like the following, and they only need to take action if they have a concern about you working as a tutor.

Character Reference sample email


As you should do whenever you use someone as a reference, it is a good idea to give them a heads up that you have used them.

We suggest sending them an SMS similar to the following:

Hi Friend/Family/Teacher, I have just applied for a job tutoring with Alchemy and have used you as a character reference. You should get the request by email – but if you support me in this (which I hope you will!) you don’t actually need to do anything; you only need to respond if you have hesitations.

We will of course never give out, share or compromise the details of your referrers. All our data is securely stored and treated in accordance with our privacy policy.

If you have any questions about references please don’t hesitate to get in touch!