References Superthread [Merged]

[cdnjarhead]

Garda called me early last week, they were trying to get a hold of one of my references but I had written one number down wrong. Before this, they had called one other one, and they verified up to 2013. It has been well over a week and they haven't contacted the rectified reference. Is it normal for them to take a while to fire the reference check back up again? Or do you think they tried the other two of four references and won't bother with the one I corrected?

This is my second time around, and I still don't understand the process...

Can anyone shed any light?

I can only share my recent experience.
I spent some time teaching English in Asia so GARDA had trouble getting in touch with all my references from that time due to the time zone. After consulting with my recruiter I developed some alternate and acceptable references and submitted those. I also called the person at GARDA directly to discuss. Getting a hold of him took a week, they are usually on calls or away from their desk, but once I got a hold of him he was pleasant and we agreed on who would be called and when.
After that within a day or two my reference wrote me to say they'd received the call from GARDA.

So, like anything if you gently poke and prod things along and consult with your recruiter eventually things should be okay I guess. I still have not received word whether my background check itself satisfies all of CAF's needs but the process itself is moving along. If any hiccups arise it's just a matter of patience and staying in close contact with your recruiter and GARDA.

 

[ekyyc7]

Hi,

I am in the process of applying for regular forces. 

On the "DND Personal Data Verification" form it has a section for employment history and I must list my employment history for the past  years. 

My concern is I left 2 employers on not so good terms.  I didn't get fired. I left over major disagreements and the relationships ended on a sour note.

I wouldn't have a problem being 100% honest with recruiters but I am concerned that if they actually phone them they aren't going to say positive things about me and harm my chances of being accepted into the military.

Will the government/recruiters actually phone my previous employers as well as the typical 4 references?

 

[George Wallace]

Hi,

I am in the process of applying for regular forces. 

On the "DND Personal Data Verification" form it has a section for employment history and I must list my employment history for the past  years. 

My concern is I left 2 employers on not so good terms.  I didn't get fired. I left over major disagreements and the relationships ended on a sour note.

I wouldn't have a problem being 100% honest with recruiters but I am concerned that if they actually phone them they aren't going to say positive things about me and harm my chances of being accepted into the military.

Will the government/recruiters actually phone my previous employers as well as the typical 4 references?

We have 27 pages here on the topic "References".  I know that your question above has been asked several times before.  Did you read the answers to those questions on the previous pages?

 

[DAA]

Will the government/recruiters actually phone my previous employers as well as the typical 4 references?

Yes, they most likely will be calling your previous employers.

 

[canadianMedic]

Hello,

I am currently undergoing the recruitment process and was asked to give in 4 references.
The problem i have with this is i have to have known my reference for minimally 5 years, and, as a guy who is only 19 years old the only references i can hand out are family friends (because of the 5 year rule). The rule to my references are i cannot use family members, neighbors or family friends. I am only allowed to give teachers or coworkers/bosses.
I wasn't the best student in school so every teacher i have contacted said i could use him as a reference, although he has to tell the truth about my "work ethics", which would be fine, but i desperately want this job in the military and i cant afford to have it blown away because of my lack of maturity in high school.

I have a family friend who also happened to be a secretary at my high school (who i have known for 19 years) and another family friend who has hired me to  work for him with his business (who i have known for 19 years).

I need help with ideas on who i can use. Maybe mention who you have used (other than teachers) for your references, and if they worked.

Also, would these 2 references be alright for my application?

Please let me know, i have my medical and my interview coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks

- Ryan :facepalm:

 

[Loachman]

And another merge...

canadianMedic  - aside from learning how to do simple research and using the Search Function, please also learn to capitalize appropriately, unless you use "i" within sentences to denote a deficiency of self-esteem.

 

[vleeuwentom]

Hi,

So I just started the application and when to see a recruiter to get more information.
While there we were talking about references and I mentioned that I might have a hard time getting enough references. He eluded to the fact that if i didn't have enough references it meant the forces wouldn't be interested in me.
The problem is I recently graduated university and didn't really connect with many professors and generally only had them for one or two classes thus only knowing them for 4 months at a time.
For professional references I had 3 co-op jobs totaling 16 months. I'm not a man of faith and didn't really have a someone I looked up to.
I did play ultimate but there was no coach only a captain and for one of the teams it was my sister.

What should I do?
thanks in advance.

 

[Pusser]

Years ago, when I went through this as a 19 year old, I used my friends' parents.  These were not "family friends" because they did not socialize with my parents, but they knew me because I had hung out at their houses for many years. 

 

[lwt]

Hi Everyone,

I'm applying as a 26 year old. Regarding the references, the instructions seem to indicate that I need to cover the last 10 years of my life (as opposed to 5):

"Your references, either individually or in combination, must have known your for at least the last give (5) continuous years (or to age 16, whichever comes first)."

Am I interpreting this correctly? It seems a bit odd (not to mention difficult) that I have to find references from before the beginning of high school. My education and work experience from the last 5 years is the most relevant to my current application, so it makes more sense to pick more recent references.

Can any older applicants comment on this? Thanks.

 

[George Wallace]

Hi Everyone,

I'm applying as a 26 year old. Regarding the references, the instructions seem to indicate that I need to cover the last 10 years of my life (as opposed to 5):

"Your references, either individually or in combination, must have known your for at least the last give (5) continuous years (or to age 16, whichever comes first)."

Unless you have been highly mobile in your 26 years, finding references who have known you for ten years should not be a problem.  If you have read through this LONG thread, your answers would have been found.  Quite simply, your References can be anyone, not related by blood, that has known you for ten years: a neighbour; a teacher; an instructor or coach; a Scoutmaster; a priest; a boss; any of dozens of people who have known you for ten years.  They do not have to have been your "best friends".

 

[RedcapCrusader]

Hi Everyone,

I'm applying as a 26 year old. Regarding the references, the instructions seem to indicate that I need to cover the last 10 years of my life (as opposed to 5):

"Your references, either individually or in combination, must have known your for at least the last give (5) continuous years (or to age 16, whichever comes first)."

Am I interpreting this correctly? It seems a bit odd (not to mention difficult) that I have to find references from before the beginning of high school. My education and work experience from the last 5 years is the most relevant to my current application, so it makes more sense to pick more recent references.

Can any older applicants comment on this? Thanks.

It's not 10 years, it's 5 years OR from age 16 - whichever comes first.

Pretty simple.

If all your references have known you for continuous 5 previous years (so 21 to current), you can use those. It does NOT have to be people that have known you from age 16 unless you have no other choice.

 

[mooell]

Hello,

I know this question has been asked because I searched the forum and found where it was brought up, however what I found was 2 different answers so I was hoping someone can clear this up.

Can I use my sister-in-law (wife's sister) and/or brother-in-law (wifes sisters husband) as a character reference?

I am married not common law.

When I searched the forum I was lead to this post:

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/12763/post-865800.html#msg865800

Followed by George Wallace saying that if you are married then in-laws are considered blood relatives, but in the next post Retired FDO says that if you want to use your in-laws you can.

Sorry if this seems to be a question that has been answered but to me that seems like contradictory answers.

 

[mariomike]

> We went over it , the only problem I have it that I don't have anyone to cover my 5 year history references required in the application package .

Saw this in Ask a CAF Recruiter. Adding for reference,

Selecting your References:
A valid reference is defined as an adult (18 years of age or older) that knows you well enough to provide a worthwhile, fair and adequate assessment about your personal character. Members of the family or relatives, family friends, friends, neighbours, co-workers or peers are not considered valid references.
The references can be categorized as follows:
a. Educational References: these persons are former or current teachers, professors, coaches, instructors, or trainers;
b. Professional References: these persons are former or current supervisors, managers, overseers, advisors, or employers; and
c. Personal References: these persons can be a minister, clergyman, mentor, counsellor, community leader, etc.
Your references, either individually or in combination, must have known you for at least the last five (5) continuous years (or to age 16, whichever comes first).

As long as your reference falls into any one of the categories above, they can be used.  It is generally recommended to have known the person for at least "1-year" as a minimum but preferably longer, if possible.  We also suggest that you Contact your references first to ask for permission to use them and make sure they are aware that they may be contacted by either the Department of National Defence or their agents.

 

[bookibaloush]

Hello! I am currently 23 years old and about to finish my studies and then i will enlist but i have a problem.... I have never ever worked in my life. What should i do for professionnal references? I do have a couple of 5 years old + references.

 

[mariomike]

Asked and answered in Ask a CAF Recruiter. Adding for reference,

Q: So I was born in US but I never lived there my whole life. My recruiting officer wanted me to provide 2 references from US which I am unable to. What should I do from there?

A: Why?  Foreign references, as far as I know, are not permitted and I can't see any reason why they would be asking for something like this.

Q: My question is, with them calling my references is this a good sign for my background check? Or is this just a part of the process and not get my hopes up?

A: Upon completion of your Interview and Medical, the "Reference Check" is the next step in your application process.  So if your references are being contacted, then your application is actively being worked on.

 

[Cults]

Before I get flak, I have read the past 100 posts made in this thread.

I have enough peple to account for 5 years total. None have known me for more than 3 years, some I haven't spoken to in 3 years. Which I know is fine from reading previous posts, please correct me if I'm wrong.

My question is: can I give multiple references from the same place. I had many supervisors at my previous job and I have many teachers at my current school, can I use many people from the same school or place of employment?

Thanks in advance for your help, I will not reply again just to say thanks as to not pollute the thread.

 

[DAA]

Before I get flak, I have read the past 100 posts made in this thread.
I have enough peple to account for 5 years total. None have known me for more than 3 years, some I haven't spoken to in 3 years. Which I know is fine from reading previous posts, please correct me if I'm wrong.
My question is: can I give multiple references from the same place. I had many supervisors at my previous job and I have many teachers at my current school, can I use many people from the same school or place of employment?
Thanks in advance for your help, I will not reply again just to say thanks as to not pollute the thread.

The optimum is to list people who can cover the previous 5 year period.  When this is not possible, you can use multiple references to cover the preceeding 5 years, just ensure there are NO gaps in the time covered.  I don't see why you couldn't use multiple references from the same organization if you had to.  Just try and stay away from references that you have known for less than 18 months, with the exception of your most current reference.

 

[mariomike]

Asked and answered in Ask a CAF Recruiter, adding for reference,

Reference Question 
http://milnet.ca/forums/threads/123731.0/topicseen.html

Are you allowed to use former co-workers as a Professional Reference?

Depends on which form you are filling out.

If you are completing the PDV Form (Personal Data Verification) ( http://cdn.forces.ca/_PDF2010/PersonalDataVerification.pdf ) provided by and used by your local Recruiting Detachment, then the answer is NO!  What is considered acceptable for references is explained on page one (2nd bullet from the bottom) of this form.

If you are completing the TBS 330-60 (Security Clearance Form) ( https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbsf-fsct/330-60-nf-eng.pdf ), then the answer is YES!

 

[sunnyday]

Has anyone ever have a case where your 26 so too long out of school to use a teacher & have been self employed since 2008, I don't go to church or anything like that and have no references because they said I can't use clients I did work for during being self employed, is there a way to fight this?

 

[jdavid]

After reading through the recent threads, I still have a couple lingering questions that hopefully someone here can help me answer.
Firstly, I worked for a company for three years, from 2008 - 2011. However, I have NOT worked there in the past five years. Is it possible for me to use a former supervisor from this company as a reference?
Secondly, I noticed in one of the posts above that someone used a co-worker from volunteer work with a church as a reference. Would it be possible for me to use a former student who I took several courses with and completed a couple student projects with as a reference? I was a good student in terms of grades while attending university, but I did not form bonds with any of my professors and my reference list is suffering as a result.

Currently, my reference list is as follows:
1. Former supervisor - Known for 8 years (2008 - present) - hasn't been my supervisor at any point in the last 5 years.
2. Former professor from college - Known 1 year (September 2015-present).
3. Current supervisor - Known 8 months (February 2016-present).
4. Previous supervisor - Known 14 months (July 2015-present) - Only worked for company for two months (start of July - end of August).

A few notes, I finished a university degree and advanced college diploma over the last 5 years, so, I only have employment references from work experience I had previous to university (more than 5 years ago), summer jobs, and my current place of employment. Since most of my summer jobs were for temp agencies, I only have a reference from one summer job which was not through a temp agency.

Sorry for the long question and thanks for taking the time to read it.