ratonlaveur wrote:
How old is too old a job reference? I haven't been much for professional "networking" and my work references are a bit old (mostly 2-5 yrs ago) - is this too old for jobs I'm applying for right now?
No, 2-5 years isn't bad at all. Assume most people stay with a job 2-3 years, you're then only looking at one set of references. Even if you go back 10 years, it may be someone with who you have worked with for 20 years and is a big shot - just a matter of perspective.
There are two types of references, job and personal. I feel comfortable with using a job reference going back a while, as the job reference may be relevant to the current position. However, I would prefer a personal reference being something more recent.