If you do not want your current employer to know you are looking for a new role, choose someone from your most recent job before that. Don't use a neighbour, friend or family member as a referee. Your prospective employer will view them as biased and discount their opinions.
Character References
Close relatives are not generally acceptable references and neither are people who do not know you well. You may not want to include references from areas of your life you prefer to keep private or that may conflict with your interviewer's values.
Relatives and friends. They will sing your praises, but it won't come from an honest place, and the odds are good they can't speak to your qualities and qualifications as an employee.
Who can be a referee? A referee must not: be related to you or in a personal relationship with you (cannot be a guardian, foster carer, spouse, civil partner, fiancé, boyfriend/girlfriend)
Those providing the reference should know you well and be able to give examples that back up statements about your character. While friends and family are acceptable referees, it is better for you to select someone who is not immediate family as their opinion may be construed as being biased.
Remember to only use people as a reference if you actually know them. These acquaintances can be a positive connection within the company, but if they can't speak to your work habits, skills, or character, don't list them on your application.
Coworkers. Past and current colleagues are great references when you can't use a supervisor. Just make sure you're on good terms with them, and they can speak about your professional skills and big wins.
Family Members
Aside from making you look infantile, your family can't give an objective view of the kind of things employers are interested in—namely your work history, work ethic, and your moral character, or how you'll behave as an employee—so don't put them down as professional references.
Meaningful references come from people who can verify your work experience and qualifications. Choose people who can discuss your skills and experience that are related to the job you're applying for. Whatever you do, please don't use your family or neighbors as references.
a friend of the family or a neighbour (unless they have specific knowledge of your work)
Your prior managers or supervisors. Your current peers or clients (if you're interviewing for a client-facing role) Your prior peers or clients. Your personal references or friends who will vouch for you.
A referee is a person that confirms your previous employment details and the information on your resume. Referees give references at a recruiter's request via a letter or phone call. Your referees can be your former employers, managers, clients, and university faculty members.
It is commonly assumed that a previous employer must give a reference and is legally prohibited from giving a bad one. This is not the case. Your employer can give you a bad or unfavourable reference, but only if they genuinely believe it to be true and accurate and have reasonable grounds for that belief.
You should avoid listing family members or your spouse as personal references, as they might be perceived as biased. You want to choose personal references who have known you at least one year, think positively of you, are able to communicate well and are available on short notice.
2. The Family Member or Friend You've Done Work For. This, too, is an easy, go-to reference—assuming you're not thinking you can put your dad on here. My brother used to help my uncle with yard work every summer.
Your referee must be someone over 18 who can confirm your relationship status. But they can't be any of the following: your parent or stepparent. a sibling or child.
The reference needs to be someone who can speak to your character, personality, abilities and qualities. While family members can provide character references, they will likely be more meaningful coming from someone unrelated to you. Consider asking a longtime friend, neighbor, mentor, coach, teacher or professor.
No, you cannot list anyone as a reference. Typically, a company will only be looking for professional references, which are people that you've worked with in the past. Good candidates for professional references include: Former colleagues.
A typical company will usually ask for three references, which a potential employee can have listed on their resume. The references they provide will be contacted by reference checkers who will ask about their employment history, qualifications, and work ethic.
Coworkers. Coworkers can give your potential new employer insight as to who you are as a coworker, not just an employee. Try to use coworkers that aren't just your “work friends,” though. Ask people that you've worked on projects with to act as your reference.
'Coworker' and 'Colleague': Shared Labor. Today, colleague is used more often in professional contexts, sometimes referring to people who work in the same field but not for the same institution, whereas coworker tends to be used for people who share a workspace or duties.
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.