While almost none of the employers included in Jobs in Paradise specifically requests applicants provide letters of recommendation, a letter sent with your application can often make the difference between a form rejection letter and a job offer. Personnel directors in popular resort areas are often besieged by dozens of unsolicited applications each week. An application that comes complete with a photocopy of a letter of recommendation saves the personnel director the time, trouble, and expense of trying to track down references merely listed on your resume. For best results, try submitting one or two photocopied letters of recommendation with your application in
addition to listing other references on your resume.

A letter of recommendation can come from a past employer or any
respected member of your community who knows your character
and abilities. You'll find that most former employers are all too happy to write you a generic letter praising your virtues and ignoring your faults. When you ask someone to write a letter, don't be afraid to ask them to address specific traits that you think are important in landing your dream job. Most of the job listings given here include a brief statement by the employer describing what qualities they seek in employees. These are the traits that you want addressed in a good letter of recommendation.

While each employer has a slightly different idea of what traits
make a perfect applicant, most include honesty, willingness to work hard, maturity, sense of humor, neat appearance, professionalism, and an energetic friendly personality on their wish list.

The bottom line answer to the question of whether to include letters of recommendation with your application is simple:  If you can get a good, enthusiastic letter from a former employer or person who knows you well, send it!  This advice holds true regardless of whether or not the employer requests references in their Jobs in Paradise listing.

A good letter of reference can never hurt your application and will often make the difference in landing your dream job.