Hi everyone
Just joined and have received 6 references from colleagues and friends - all external. Another friend is trying to send one in. She says at her end it shows that it has sent, but it hasn’t appeared on my profile. Is there a limit to how many you can have on your profile?
Many thanks 
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I don’t know but I should think that 8 references are plenty. I didn’t have that many when I started. Once you start sitting you’ll build up reviews which prospective owners will take more notice of.
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Hi @MarieHuggins welcome to our community forum.
When it comes to external references my advice always is, quality over quantity and you have excellent ones referencing your volunteering work with animal rescue and shelters and many other wonderful qualities which pet parents/owners look for when choosing a sitter for their furry family members …
If you need any advice on making applications or any aspect of getting started please don’t hesitate to ask our friendly and helpful community.
One tip we always give, when possible start locally and if you are flexible enough with timing, last minute, short sits … I believe there’s a half term on the horizon when pet parents suddenly get the opportunity to take a short trip and need to have their other “children” taken care of.
Good luck and please let us know how you get on.
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That is a great tip. Thank you. My first one is 90 mins away and only four days, so building up slowly.
There was one very local to me, but I would have to go out one night and didnt think that fair on the dogs, even though the owner didn’t mind - I always put the animals first and it wouldnt have felt right to me.
UPDATE: After several messages between me and the HO, the HO has decided to go ahead with me as the sitter. Hopefully I have put her mind at ease. We are both newbies so totally understandable to be a little apprehensive. Thanks again for the advice.
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Hello fellow sitters - newbie here.
I have one sit set up (woohoo) and in the process of setting up a longer one.
All was going well, but the HO has now asked for two work references? I’m confused as I thought the references on our profile (of which I have currently have 7) were all we required.
I have told HO that I fully understand her apprehension and if she wants to go with another sitter will fully understand.
I don’t really want to ask work as THS is my personal thing and not connected to work.
Advice greatly received please.
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Hi @MarieHuggins. I took a peak at your sitter profile, and you already have more than enough references, all glowing. One is even from a work reference. I would point the pet parents to those references and, as @Snowbird suggested, ask what concerns they have. Then you can find a way to address those concerns.
Are the pet parents new to hosting pet sitters? They just may not be comfortable yet with the process. Do they understand that TrustedHousesitters, unlike most other pet sitting platforms, requires background checks for sitters? Is it a local or regional sit, where you could meet them in person or even do a one-night trial sit to get them comfortable?
I think that’s a perfect response. It has nothing to do with work/career and I’d consider that request a good reason not to do that sit.
FWIW, the one HO who requested that I provide direct contact details for past HOs (which I did, after the two I asked kindly agreed)–it turned out that I should have asked for refs for the HO, and an objective assessment about the pet.
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Thank you Karen, I have just had a long webchat with the lovely Georgie, who is going to email the HO and try to put her mind at rest. I suspect, like me, she is new to this.
I do understand her apprehension but at the same time I don’t really want to involve my work.
thanks everyone - I will read through all your replies.
Hi Katie
I’m new so no previous HO reviews, but I do have 7 references and one is from a work colleague, the rest friends and colleagues who know me well.