Personal references are used for a variety of reasons. When you apply for a job, employers ask for personal references, and many credit card companies want you to provide references when you apply for credit. Anyone looking for an apartment will need to provide personal references to the landlord or the apartment complex leasing office. Every company or organization requesting personal references will use them in different ways. Your personal references may or may not be contacted, depending on the situation and circumstances.
Employers
When you apply for a job the interviewer will ask for personal references. Before you are hired, the employer will contact your personal references to verify or confirm your character, integrity, and general habits. You can get a lot of information by talking to someone's references. Usually there is a place on an employment application for you to list the name, address, phone number, and sometimes the email for your personal references.
Credit Cards
Credit card companies want you to provide references when you apply for a credit card. There is a place on the credit card application to list your personal references. Personal references, in this case, are used differently. Your references will never be contacted by the credit card company unless you become past due on your credit account and they cannot locate you. References will be contacted if it appears that you have moved without leaving a forwarding address and your home and work phone number are no longer good numbers to contact you. A debt collector from the credit card company will contact your references to see if they have new information about you, such as a new address and phone number. They can never discuss your debt with your personal references.
Landlords
Landlords also request that you supply references. Your references will be contacted to verify your general character and integrity. Personal references can provide information about your living habits as well as your relationships with others in your neighborhood and community, and with society in general. There is a place on your application for personal references to be listed.
Business Partners
If you are going to start a business, your partner may contact your personal references to verify your character and integrity. They want to confirm that you are ethical in all business dealings before they go into business with you. No want wants to go in business with someone who is unscrupulous and may commit fraud.
Warning
Personal references may not be the most reliable source of information because people will supply the names of only those individuals most likely to give a positive reference. Other sources may be more reliable, such as criminal background checks and employment verification with a credit check. These types of references might also be sought by companies and organizations to provide a keen insight into the character of a person.
Read more: About Personal Reference Checks | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/about_6170556_personal-reference-checks.html#ixzz1ZHsnGgax