A job reference is essentially a letter or verbal confirmation that you attended a place of work for a certain period. Many references also include more specific details about the job role you did and your performance. The idea of a reference is to give the prospective employer an idea of what kind of worker you are; are you reliable, conscientious etc..  Many people worry about giving out details for their current employer as a reference until they have handed their notice in, but if you tell the interviewer that you would prefer for them not to be contacted until you have handed in your notice they will understand. Often employers will state that if the references so not match up to the information you have given them they can revoke the job offer with no notice period.  An employer is under no legal obligation to give you a reference but most will. They can detail information such as disciplinary details, attendance etc, but all the information they give has to be accurate, fair and true.

You can give more than one previous employer as a reference or if you have had no previous employment you may be able to give details or a teacher or lecturer that could be contacted instead.