Using current client contacts as references for a potential new job?

Question

I have 2 client contacts that I work with a majority of the time. I'd like to be able to use them as a reference for my next job. I am interviewing tomorrow. How do I go about asking them to be a reference and still keeping it confidential (my employer doesn't know I'm looking).

I work for a small company, and am interviewing for a larger one. My only co-worker on the technical/requirement side of my job is my boss. I was hoping to use clients for referrals to fill the gap.

Since I asked the question, I've now interviewed with the larger company. I would like to be able to use the references to put me over the top.

Answer 1

It's really not a good idea to use your clients as references. Why? Because most companies guard against their clients becomming known to outsiders. Your doing it may make you appear as though you cannot protect things that should be kept confidential.

So personally, I would suggest staying away from asking your clients to be a reference. If you have a co-worker who you can use and trust not to tell your company that you're looking, then that's the better way to go.

Now if you've received a nice letter for a job well-done from a client, you could use that as a "reference." If a client wrote you a note saying how helpful you were, that's perfectly acceptable. But asking for a reference from a client puts them in a tough spot and makes you look bad.