It came out of the blue. You submitted references after what felt like a strong interview and were waiting to hear the good news. But then you find out one of your former bosses gave you a bad reference. Is it over? Have you lost the job? Although I wish I could give you a […]

In order to do their job, reference checkers ask questions of the people whose names you provide them on a reference sheet. They may also find other sources on their own if needed, but in most cases the names you give them are enough. So create your reference list with care — and make sure […]

Do job references really matter? Sometimes more than you know. And sometimes less. If that sounds confusing, it kind of is confusing since you can’t be sure of your potential employer’s policies. Or lack of policies. Over the years, I’ve seen a large variation in how seriously references are treated. But if you want to […]

If possible, you should call your references before your job interview. You want to make sure that they are available and willing. And that you have their correct contact info. Also, you might get a feel for how positive they’ll be — and if needed decide to maybe leave that one out. Now I know […]

From the very first glimpse of your resume and beyond, impressions happen at every stage of the interview process. And that includes the reference list you give / send to the employer. So here’s an example I created of a sample reference page you can use as a template for your own references sheet. Sample […]

Would it be ok to also include as a reference someone who was in charge of a cross-departmental team that I was on more recently, even though I was technically

Dear Work Coach, I am a Preschool teacher. Unfortunately, the places I have been employed have a huge employee turnover rate. None of my previous directors or