{"id":357755,"date":"2016-04-04T10:45:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/employment\/hiring-process\/employment-references-that-work-for-you.html"},"modified":"2021-12-13T14:00:03","modified_gmt":"2021-12-13T19:00:03","slug":"employment-references-that-work-for-you","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/hiring-process\/employment-references-that-work-for-you.html","title":{"rendered":"Employment References That Work For You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Employment References That Work For You<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Omri Ben-Ari, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

Amidst the process of writing cover letters, polishing resumes, and preparing for\u00a0job interviews<\/a>, spending time on employment references may fall by the wayside. Judging by the expert advice given by career counselors and employers alike, job references can be equally or more important than the rest.<\/p>\n

Employment references often are the last step in the\u00a0hiring process<\/a>, so the competition has generally been narrowed down to a small pool of candidates. A reference from a current or former employer may be the difference between getting hired and writing more cover letters, so you should be sure your job references are solid.<\/p>\n

In an age where many companies are hesitant to do any more than confirm your dates of employment, position held, and rates of pay, you’ll want to be sure that your employer reference has positive comments about your contributions. Choosing the right people to serve as your references is an important choice and one which this article will explore.<\/p>\n

Choose Your Employment References Wisely<\/h3>\n

You should start by preparing a summary list of potential references and gather their contact information. While your reference doesn’t necessarily have to come from an employer, future employers typically prefer to hear what your supervisors and managers have to say about you, rather than what your co-workers think of your work.<\/p>\n

If you choose to select a mix of supervisors, co-workers, clients, and customers, just make sure you have at least a few people who have directly supervised your work. Personal friends or family members should be excluded.<\/p>\n

Depending on the job for which you are applying, you should consider the types of questions the prospective employer will ask and the type of work you did with former employers. In doing so, you will get a better idea of which of your potential employment references would be more or less appropriate for your current job search. References should, at a minimum, be able to answer questions like:<\/p>\n