Your old employer doesn’t have to give you a reference – but if they do, it has to be truthful and fair. You might get a bad reference if you’ve been sacked for poor performance or misconduct.
What if your employer gives you a bad reference?
If you’ve lost out on a job because your employer gave you an unfair reference, you might be able to take them to court. Going to court can take a long time, and you might not win your case. For many people, it’s quicker to look for another job or ask someone else to give a reference instead.
When to ask a colleague for clarification or explanation?
Ask for clarification, NOT an explanation. After listening carefully to your colleague’s presentation in a business meeting, you realize you still need a little more information before giving your feedback. You understand his overall ideas, but would like a few more details, so you ask him this question: “Could you please explain this to me?”
When to ask ” Could you please clarify?
Instead of asking, “Could you please explain…?” be sure to ask, “Could you please clarify…?” to sound more professional, more intelligent, and more fluent when speaking English. Have you ever asked someone to explain something when you should have asked them to clarify?
When to use the verb ” explain ” instead of ” clarify “?
Of course, if you do need a longer, more detailed explanation, you want to use the verb “explain” rather than “clarify.” But if you only need a small detail explained to you, choose the verb “clarify” instead.
Can you ask an interviewer to clarify a question?
Even if you find yourself in a room with the rudest interviewer ever, don’t feel like you can’t ask for more clarity around a question if you need it. You’ve done a lot of hard work to score this meeting—so if you feel like you’re about to ramble on because you actually aren’t sure what you’re being asked, get the additional info you need.
