Who Can Be A Character Reference?

Who can’t be a character reference

How to choose a character reference – Identifying the right character reference can be harder than it seems. When choosing a character reference, it’s important that you pick someone who will speak highly of you and is able to vouch for your hard-working, reliable, trustworthy character.

Teacher Academic advisor Coach Supervisor Mentor Religious leader

If you have work experience but aren’t allowed to use references at your current place of work, consider asking a former colleague or manager who no longer works at the company.

Can a character reference be anyone?

People you should ask for references – Many candidates ask themselves “Who do I approach for references?” Good referees tend to be people who have been relatively close to you as you’ve grown up. So typically, this might be a neighbour or family acquaintance that you’ve got a positive relationship with.

1. Held a trusted position in your local community? Employers will definitely be impressed by that.
2. Roles like scout leader, junior council member or sports coach are all great examples as it shows a good and practical attitude.
3. Similarly, if you have had any casual work or taken part in volunteer schemes for school, these are superb people to ask for personal references.

The key here is to select someone who has a genuinely positive impression of you as a person. It will also impress employers if their own credentials are trustworthy and if they can communicate your reference effectively. While you might want to ask your parents or your best friend, your first port of call for references should always be previous employers, preferably your last one.

1. If you’ve got several previous employers to choose from, pick one that’s in a similar sector to the one you’re applying for.
2. If you’ve only had one or two employers, pick someone who has dealt with you in a professional working environment (e.g.: former clients, ex-colleagues) as well as a personal reference.

If this is your first job, you’ll need to provide two personal references instead. Try and pick someone who can give an unbiased character reference, such as previous teachers or lecturers who can vouch for your school work and your general attitude.

Can a friend be a character reference?

Who should provide them? – Personal references are commonly provided by teachers, lecturers, group or club leaders, neighbours, friends and family members. Those providing the reference should know you well and be able to give examples that back up statements about your character.

What if I only have 2 references

Who Should You Ask to Be Your Reference? – When choosing the person to serve as your reference, focus on current or former managers, supervisors and colleagues who can “attest to your work product, professional accomplishments and day-to-day demeanor,” says Laura Mills, head of Early Career Insights at the ed-tech company Forage.

Know you well enough to answer questions related to your past work experience. Can speak to your skills, achievements and work ethic in a positive way. Have worked with you within the past five years. Can recommend you wholeheartedly and have your best interest in mind. Express themselves clearly and professionally over the phone.

Once you have an idea of who to ask, narrow down your list to three references for any given job. If you’re early in your career and don’t have much job experience, consider asking professors from college courses in which you performed well. But don’t fret if you only have one to two references. Most employers will understand if you’re just starting out.

What is a character reference example

I am delighted to provide a character reference for. We became firm friends in and have known each other for. is one of the most positive, hardworking and responsible people I know. is kind and cool-headed in a crisis.

What if I can’t provide references?

If you’re having trouble getting a reference, you can ask the employer who needs the reference if they’ll accept: a reference from someone else, for example a manager or colleague. a reference from a different employer.

Can you give a negative character reference?

In short, yes, though they are unlikely to do so. Your current employer, or a previous employer, can say negative things about you in their reference, as long as what they say is ‘accurate and fair’. In practice, it’s very difficult for an employer to say negative things about you that meet the ‘accurate and fair’ standard.

Do character references matter?

A character reference letter for a friend introduces them to a potential employer as someone who is trustworthy and personable. Such a reference can increase your friend’s chances of employment since it highlights their individual potential, good character and other relevant information validated by a reliable source.

Can a coworker be a character reference?

A professional reference is someone who has worked closely with you for at least six months within the past seven years. They are usually a coworker or immediate supervisor, but can also be a department head, higher-level manager or client if they interacted with you regularly.

Can you fake a character reference

Is Using a Fake Reference Illegal? – Fake references are illegal, if you’re caught. Providing a fake reference meets the definition of criminal fraud, and you could also potentially be sued for other issues, like defamation, Is a company likely to pursue legal action against someone that provided a fake reference? In practice, probably not.

Can I put a family member as a reference?

Family – While family members may seem like an easy choice, they are not the best choice for a professional reference. The one exception might be if you’ve worked for a family business and your family member is also your boss (or coworker). In this case, you might list them as a reference.

Can I put classmate as reference

4. A classmate or colleague. Someone else that you can use as a reference is a classmate you’ve recently spoken to. Depending on your time together, a classmate or college within your industry has seen your work improve and develop in your career.

Can I put my girlfriend as character reference?

If you feel that your girlfriend would make a good character reference for you, then by all means, go ahead and use her! Just be sure to let your potential employer know that she is not a professional reference and that she may not be able to speak to your work ethic or qualifications in an official capacity.

Is 4 references too many?

How many references should you have? – Most job seekers should aim to provide three to four professional references. This is a good number to have because it provides potential employers with a good mix of people who can attest to your qualifications, work ethic, and character.

Is 1 references enough?

Three is the minimum number of references to include on your job application. The employer may be able to form a thorough impression of you as a candidate after listening to diverse perspectives. However, the number of references required may depend on the role and the company.

Can you put someone as a reference without asking

Use someone as a reference without asking – Don’t just assume a teacher or former supervisor will give you a reference! Always ask for permission first and ask far enough in advance so they have enough time to make a decision.

What is the role of character reference?

Background checks are an essential part of any hiring process. And while most companies think that criminal history along with education and employment verifications are enough— there is another way to find out more about a potential employee. Character references can be supplemental and used to verify more information about previous work experience. SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

If provided the opportunity would you hire him/her again? Why or why not? What can you tell me about his/her personality? What can you tell me about his/her work ethic? How reliable is he/she? What can you tell me about his/her ability to get along with his/her peers and supervisors?

Character references allow you to get more in-depth information about a candidate. Just verifying that a candidate worked at a certain company in the past isn’t always enough. References give you more information than basic dates of employment. Character references allow you to receive more information such as time and attendance by talking with direct supervisors.

• Since the questions are more in-depth, we can get a better sense of work ethic and personality.
• For example, if you are hiring for a position that requires very strict attendance policies, you need to know if the candidate has had attendance issues in the past.
• Character references give insight into a candidate’s personality.

While most questions are very standard, talking to a direct supervisor who knew the candidate personally gives you more accurate information. SELECTiON.COM ® goes above and beyond standard background checks. Our education and employment verification packages can be customized to fit your every need.

Can a coworker be a character reference?

A professional reference is someone who has worked closely with you for at least six months within the past seven years. They are usually a coworker or immediate supervisor, but can also be a department head, higher-level manager or client if they interacted with you regularly.

Can a family member be a reference?

Can I Use a Family Member as a Personal Reference? – When personal references come up during coaching sessions, my entry-level clients often ask whether they can use family members. And while you can if you absolutely need to, I advise my clients to exhaust all of their other options first.

(I also provide examples of people they can ask before reaching out to a family member.) In Wilson’s experience, however, it’s totally OK to use family as a personal reference, as long as one condition is met:. “It’s OK if you have a significant meaningful project with that family member,” Wilson says.

“Did you build a business together? Did you start an initiative or a new project together? It needs to be something that shows meaningful impact, whether that’s social or business-related.” Whether you choose to exhaust all other options first or not, citing a family member as a personal reference works best when you’ve started a venture together, such as a small business; a volunteer project in your community; or a podcast, blog, or YouTube channel.

• You may find yourself in a situation where you feel a family member blurs the line between personal and professional reference.
• For example, “I have a friend who started an orphanage in East Africa with her uncle,” Wilson says.
• That’s an amazing personal reference because he can speak to how she overcame challenges and her passion for others.” Although it may sound like Wilson’s friend could use her uncle as both a personal or a professional reference, I would only advise using him as a personal reference.

Employers often worry that family members won’t provide as objective of a reference as an unrelated manager or coworker would, so I suggest only using family members as personal references—if you’re using them at all.