Monthly Archives: November 2018

Most employers will ask for references when you apply for a job vacancy with them. Depending on what job you are applying for you may need to give more than one and often a personal reference and a work reference. Most universities and colleges now even ask for references from people that are applying to go on certain courses.

When choosing who you want to ask for a reference you may be limited and only be able to give one or two employers, but if you do have a choice make sure you pick someone recent but who is most likely to be able to give you a good, relevant reference. Companies like to see references from people you have worked with in similar job roles to the one that you are applying for. You should be aware that references may be asked for before you are offered a job so it you do not want your current employer to know you are looking for a new job, do not give them as a reference or ask if they could be contacted if you are successful in the process.

Personal references should be provided by someone that has known you for a while but ideally not family. These will be a little informal and often is more about the employer getting to find out a bit about the type of person you are.