What If I Have No Professional References?

Are professional references necessary?

Why Are Job References Important

Job references are important to help employers determine whether you're a good fit for the new role, and can really help improve your ability to find a new job since they will learn more than they can by scanning your resume.

Is it okay to not have references?

References are only necessary if the prospective employer asks for them, if they don't ask, don't volunteer any. If your job asks for references, make sure you ask the referee or your guarantor permission to add their name to your list.

Can a college friend be a professional reference?

Professional References

If your friend is currently or formerly your manager, direct report, or colleague, they may be able to provide you with a professional reference.

Related Question What if I have no professional references?

Do you need references on a resume?

As a rule of thumb, you don't need to include references in your resume. However, if the employer explicitly says within the job listing that they'll want to speak with your references, it would be appropriate to include them on your resume.

Where can I get professional references?

How do companies verify employment history?

How do employers verify your work history? Typically, the employer will ask you to list one reference for each previous place of employment, and they will contact those references. The company may also ask for other personal or professional references in addition to employment references.

What looks bad on a background check?

There are plenty of reasons a person may not pass a background check, including criminal history, education discrepancies, poor credit history, damaged driving record, false employment history, and a failed drug test.

How long after interview do they ask for references?

Wait one or two days after your last interview to follow up. Send a note asking what the next steps are. If the recruiter asks for your references after your last interview, this is a good sign you are getting a job offer. Checking references is usually one of the last steps in the hiring process.

How long does it take for HR to contact you after interview?

You can usually expect to hear back from the hiring company or HR department within one or two weeks after the interview, but the waiting time varies for different industries.

Why are references not important?

References are not important

The thinking these days is that if a person has a reference that just cites their previous job description and the time they were there, it's because they were a troublesome employee. While I can see that this protects an employer from legal issues, it throws up another problem.

Do new employers call previous employers?

When you're applying for a job, it's tempting to think no one is REALLY going to call all your former employers to check references about previous jobs. But the majority of employers will check your references.