Types of References

A professional reference is someone who can speak to your work performance, skills, and professional character based on direct experience with you in a workplace or volunteer setting. Professional references can help an employer to verify your abilities, learn how you collaborate with others, and understand how you approach responsibilities. All of this information helps them to assess your fit for a role.

An academic reference is someone — such as a professor, instructor, or teaching assistant — who can speak to your abilities and character in an educational setting. They can discuss your performance in coursework, research, class participation, critical thinking, and overall potential as a student. Academic references are especially valuable when you have limited work experience or if you are applying to graduate programs or research opportunities.

A character reference is someone who can speak to your personal qualities like reliability, integrity, communication style, and how you interact with others. These individuals know you outside of a strictly professional or academic setting. A character reference might be a mentor of yours, a community leader, or a coach. Their role is to highlight your personality and strengths, helping employers understand what kind of person you are. It is generally best to avoid using a family member as a reference.