{"id":4302,"date":"2020-04-16T14:21:49","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T14:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2026.karrierecoaching.ch\/?p=4302"},"modified":"2026-04-21T08:48:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T08:48:30","slug":"glossary-job-reference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2026.karrierecoaching.ch\/en\/glossary-job-reference\/","title":{"rendered":"Job reference"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The reference letter is losing weight \u2013 but those who underestimate it give away potential.<\/p>\n<p>The qualified reference letter is a peculiarity of the German-speaking world \u2013 and is legally anchored in Switzerland. It includes assessments of performance and interpersonal behaviour and remains a standard component of any application. Its informative value is limited, especially when written in consistently neutral language. However, exceptionally strong or noticeably weak references can still tip the balance in the initial screening. Internationally, they are rare \u2013 and even in Switzerland, personal recommendations and online profiles are gaining importance.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, many employees are surprisingly passive when it comes to references. Yet it pays to take an active role: when changing managers or moving internally, requesting an interim reference is advisable. If you are asked to draft your own reference or provide a list of responsibilities, you should make the most of the opportunity. Suggested improvements are best submitted in writing \u2013 and fully formulated.<\/p>\n<p>Those who prepare nothing usually receive standard phrases \u2013 and miss an opportunity.<\/p>\n<h2>Articles on reference letters (<a href=\"https:\/\/2026.karrierecoaching.ch\/en\/articles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">all articles<\/a>)<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/2026.karrierecoaching.ch\/en\/certified-so-i-am\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Certified, therefore I am!<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/2026.karrierecoaching.ch\/en\/how-recruiters-read-your-application-documents-yes-they-still-read\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How recruiters read your application documents \u2013 yes, they still read them!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The reference letter is losing weight \u2013 but those who underestimate it give away potential. The qualified reference letter is a peculiarity of the German-speaking world \u2013 and is legally anchored in Switzerland. It includes assessments of performance and interpersonal behaviour and remains a standard component of any application. Its informative value is limited, especially [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-glossar-2"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Job reference - Karrierecoaching - Peter N\u00e4f<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Employment references still matter in German-speaking countries. Learn how to actively shape them and avoid missing key opportunities.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/2026.karrierecoaching.ch\/en\/glossary-job-reference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Job reference - Karrierecoaching - Peter N\u00e4f\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Employment references still matter in German-speaking countries. 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