Need a job reference? Well, if you’re thinking about changing jobs or sliding into a promotion, those references that you’ve collected over the years are actually a lot more important than you might have expected. The truth of the matter is that references are really the only way that employers get to look into your character and your past. Sure, they can take you at face value, but there’s something powerful about having people say good things about you — especially if they’ve worked with you in the past. A lot of people in the job search stage are afraid to actually ask for references, but it’s really not as painful as you might imagine.

The first thing that you really need to do is step back and really look at the type of people you’re actually working with. Are they people that are close to you? Would they say good things about you if you weren’t standing there listening? It’s one thing to just assume that everyone likes you, and it’s a completely different thing to realize that people might have ulterior motives. If you’re ready to go to a bigger and better job, the people that you used to work with might be a little jealous. These are people that could poison your chances of working at the other company if they don’t want to see you succeed.

Why leave things to chance? If you know that you’re going to use someone as a reference, why not offer them the same courtesy? That way you are building your network and moving onward without hurting anyone’s feelings.

There’s more to life than just references, but references do play a role in getting another job. As long as you’re really willing to get things done on the interview, then references will definitely be the boost that you need to spring into a new job.

Of course, the interview counts — nope, references won’t save you from a bad interview round. If you don’t put your best foot forward, then your chances of really getting anything done in the interview are sunk anyway. However, if you step up to the challenge and really get the right references, your chances will be a lot better.

Overall, you don’t have to let the job reference hunt scare you — you can get the references you need to really seal the deal and get the job that you deserve!