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Overview

The References section is the final data section of your evaluation. You’ll need to provide both professional references (work-related) and personal references (people who know you personally but are not family).
This is section 6 of 6. Completing this section means all your data capture is finished!

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Accessing References Form

From your evaluation dashboard, click on References (Referencias). You’ll be directed to: 
/captureData/referenciasCapture/[encrypted_evaluation_id]

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Requirements

Professional References

3 work-related references requiredPeople who can speak to your:
  • Work performance
  • Professional skills
  • Work ethic and reliability
  • Character in workplace

Personal References

3 personal references requiredPeople who can speak to your:
  • Personal character
  • Behavior in community
  • Reliability and trustworthiness
  • Personal integrity
All 6 references (3 professional + 3 personal) must be provided. The section cannot be completed without all six.

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Before You Begin

Gather contact information for:

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Professional References (3 required)

  • Full names
  • Job titles
  • Company names
  • Phone numbers (work phones preferred)

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Personal References (3 required)

  • Full names
  • Home or mobile phone numbers (both if available)
Important reference guidelines:
  • References should NOT be family members
  • References should be able to vouch for your character
  • Make sure to ask permission before listing someone
  • Provide accurate, current contact information
  • References may be contacted during background investigation

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Part 1: Professional References (Laborales)

You need three work-related references.
1

Choose Your Professional References

Good choices include:
  • Current or former supervisors
  • Colleagues or coworkers
  • HR personnel who know you
  • Clients or business contacts
  • Mentors in your field
Do NOT use:
  • Family members
  • People you’ve never actually worked with
  • Friends pretending to be coworkers
  • Anyone who would give you a poor reference
2

Reference #1 Information

Nombre (referenciasNombre1)
  • Full name of the reference
  • Include professional title if customary (Ing., Lic., etc.)
Puesto (referenciasPuesto1)
  • Their job title or position
  • Example: “Supervisor de Área”, “Director de Recursos Humanos”
Empresa (referenciasEmpresa1)
  • Name of the company or organization
  • Where this person works (or worked with you)
Teléfono (referenciasTelefono1)
  • Phone number where they can be reached
  • Work number preferred
  • Include extension if applicable
3

Reference #2 Information

Same fields for second professional reference:
  • Nombre (referenciasNombre2)
  • Puesto (referenciasPuesto2)
  • Empresa (referenciasEmpresa2)
  • Teléfono (referenciasTelefono2)
4

Reference #3 Information

Same fields for third professional reference:
  • Nombre (referenciasNombre3)
  • Puesto (referenciasPuesto3)
  • Empresa (referenciasEmpresa3)
  • Teléfono (referenciasTelefono3)

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Part 2: Personal References (Personales)

You need three personal references.
1

Choose Your Personal References

Good choices include:
  • Long-time friends
  • Neighbors who know you well
  • Community leaders (priests, coaches, etc.)
  • Teachers or mentors
  • Landlords (if you rent)
Do NOT use:
  • Family members (parents, siblings, spouse, in-laws, cousins)
  • People you barely know
  • Anyone under 18 years old
  • People with serious criminal records
2

Personal Reference #1

Nombre (referenciasNombreP1)
  • Full name of the reference
Teléfono Fijo (referenciasFijoP1)
  • Home landline phone
  • Can leave blank if they don’t have one
Teléfono Celular (referenciasCelularP1)
  • Mobile phone number
  • Preferred for contact
Provide at least one phone number (landline or mobile) for each reference. Having both is better.
3

Personal Reference #2

Same fields for second personal reference:
  • Nombre (referenciasNombreP2)
  • Teléfono Fijo (referenciasFijoP2)
  • Teléfono Celular (referenciasCelularP2)
4

Personal Reference #3

Same fields for third personal reference:
  • Nombre (referenciasNombreP3)
  • Teléfono Fijo (referenciasFijoP3)
  • Teléfono Celular (referenciasCelularP3)

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Saving Your References

1

Review All Information

Before saving, double-check:
  • All names are spelled correctly
  • Phone numbers are accurate and complete
  • You have 3 professional AND 3 personal references
  • No family members are listed
  • All fields are filled out (except optional landlines)
2

Save References

Click the save button.Success message: “Referencias guardadas con exito!”You’ll be redirected back to your evaluation dashboard.
3

Verify Completion

On your dashboard, you should now see:
  • References section marked as complete ✓
  • Progress at 100% (6 of 6 sections complete)
  • All six data sections showing green checkmarks

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Managing References

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Updating References

To change reference information:
  1. Return to the References section from your dashboard
  2. The form will be pre-populated with your existing references
  3. Make any necessary changes
  4. Click update/save
  5. Success message: “Referencias guardadas con exito!”
You can update references at any time before finalizing your evaluation. After finalization, changes may not be possible.

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Deleting All References

From the evaluation dashboard:
  1. Delete the entire References section
  2. Confirm deletion
  3. Success message: “Datos referencias eliminados”
  4. You’ll need to re-enter all 6 references from scratch
Deleting references removes all 6 at once. There’s no way to delete individual references - you must delete all and re-enter.

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Best Practices

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Choosing References

Priority Order:
  1. Direct supervisors - Best choice if you have a good relationship
  2. HR professionals - Can verify employment and character
  3. Senior colleagues - Who have worked closely with you
  4. Department heads - Who know your work
  5. Former bosses - If current supervisor isn’t available
For Permanencia (existing employees):
  • Your current immediate supervisor (strongly recommended)
  • Previous supervisors within the agency
  • Colleagues in positions of authority
For Nuevo Ingreso (new hires):
  • Recent supervisors from previous jobs
  • Employers from last 2-3 jobs
  • Colleagues who can vouch for your work
Priority Order:
  1. Long-term friends (5+ years) who know you well
  2. Neighbors you interact with regularly
  3. Community leaders (religious, civic, sports)
  4. Mentors from outside work
  5. Former teachers (if recent graduate)
Characteristics of good personal references:
  • Know you for at least 2-3 years
  • Can speak to your character and behavior
  • Are responsible, reliable people themselves
  • Will answer calls from investigators
  • Can provide specific examples about you
Never use:
  • Family members (automatic rejection)
  • People you’ve had conflicts with
  • Anyone who might give negative feedback
  • People who barely know you
  • References you haven’t asked first
  • Anyone who is difficult to reach
  • People with poor reputations
  • Minors (under 18)
Questionable choices:
  • Friends who are also applying (not ideal)
  • References used by many other applicants
  • People who have moved far away
  • Anyone with language barriers

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Contact Information Best Practices

  1. Verify phone numbers: Call them yourself before submitting
  2. Get permission: Always ask before listing someone
  3. Provide multiple numbers: Work and mobile if possible
  4. Update if changed: Check contact info is still current
  5. Time zones: Note if reference is in different time zone
  6. Best times to call: Inform investigators if there are ideal calling times

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What to Tell Your References

Tell them:
  • You’ve listed them as a reference
  • What organization is conducting the evaluation (CEACC Durango)
  • They may receive a call for a background check
  • The call may come from an unknown number
  • When they should expect contact (after you finalize)
Ask them:
  • If they’re comfortable being a reference
  • To answer honestly about their experience with you
  • To have your contact information handy
  • To return calls if they miss the investigator
Professional references may be asked:
  • How long they’ve known you
  • Your job duties and performance
  • Your attendance and punctuality
  • Your relationships with coworkers
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Whether they’d rehire or recommend you
  • Any disciplinary issues
Personal references may be asked:
  • How long they’ve known you
  • The nature of your relationship
  • Your character and behavior
  • Your reliability and trustworthiness
  • Any concerns about you in a law enforcement role
  • Your reputation in the community

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Special Scenarios

Situation: You’ve never worked before.Solution for Professional References:
  • Use professors or teachers
  • School counselors or advisors
  • Internship supervisors
  • Volunteer coordinators
  • Community program leaders
  • Any professional who knows your work ethic
The key is people who can speak to how you perform in structured environments, even if not traditional employment.
Situation: You work for yourself.Solution for Professional References:
  • Major clients or customers
  • Business partners or associates
  • Suppliers or vendors you work with
  • Professional organization contacts
  • Accountant or business attorney
  • Previous employer before self-employment
Situation: You just moved to Durango.Solution for Personal References:
  • Landlord or property manager
  • New coworkers (if you’ve started working)
  • People from organizations you’ve joined
  • Neighbors you’ve met
  • Friends/references from previous location are acceptable
References don’t have to be local, but they should be reachable by phone.
Situation: You had problems with a previous employer.Solution:
  • Don’t use that employer as a reference
  • Use other supervisors or coworkers from that job who will speak positively
  • Use references from other jobs
  • If your most recent job, be prepared to explain the gap or issue honestly
Situation: Haven’t worked in years.Solution for Professional References:
  • Use former employers (even if several years ago)
  • If homemaker: use volunteer work supervisors
  • If student: use professors
  • If caregiver: use healthcare coordinators or family references are acceptable in this specific case

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Validation and Requirements

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Required Information

For Each Professional Reference:
  • Name (required)
  • Position (required)
  • Company (required)
  • Phone number (required)
For Each Personal Reference:
  • Name (required)
  • At least one phone number (landline OR mobile, both preferred)

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Common Validation Errors

  • Duplicate references: Can’t use the same person twice
  • Family members: System may flag family surnames
  • Missing phone numbers: At least one number required per reference
  • Incomplete forms: All 6 references must be filled

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Section Completion

The References section is complete when:
  1. All 3 professional references are entered with complete information
  2. All 3 personal references are entered with at least one phone number each
  3. You’ve clicked save and received confirmation
  4. The section shows as complete on your dashboard
Completing References means ALL 6 DATA SECTIONS are now complete! You’re ready to move on to uploading documents.

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What Happens Next

After completing the References section:
  1. Your evaluation progress shows 100% for data capture (6 of 6 sections)
  2. Return to your evaluation dashboard
  3. All data sections show green checkmarks ✓
  4. Now you need to upload required documents
  5. Once documents are uploaded, you can finalize your evaluation

Next: Document Requirements

Learn which documents you need to upload and how to prepare them

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Field Reference

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Professional References (3 required)

ReferenceName FieldPosition FieldCompany FieldPhone Field
Professional #1referenciasNombre1referenciasPuesto1referenciasEmpresa1referenciasTelefono1
Professional #2referenciasNombre2referenciasPuesto2referenciasEmpresa2referenciasTelefono2
Professional #3referenciasNombre3referenciasPuesto3referenciasEmpresa3referenciasTelefono3

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Personal References (3 required)

ReferenceName FieldLandline FieldMobile Field
Personal #1referenciasNombreP1referenciasFijoP1referenciasCelularP1
Personal #2referenciasNombreP2referenciasFijoP2referenciasCelularP2
Personal #3referenciasNombreP3referenciasFijoP3referenciasCelularP3

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Troubleshooting

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Can’t save references

Problem: Save button doesn’t work. Solution:
  • Ensure all 6 references are filled out
  • Check that all professional references have all 4 fields
  • Check that all personal references have at least one phone number
  • Refresh page and try again

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Reference information wrong

Problem: Made a mistake in a reference’s info. Solution:
  • Return to References section
  • Update the incorrect information
  • Save again - this updates the existing data

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Reference won’t answer calls

Problem: Investigator can’t reach a reference. Solution:
  • Update the contact information if you have better numbers
  • Contact your reference and ask them to watch for calls
  • If the reference is unavailable, you may need to update with a different reference

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Used a family member by mistake

Problem: Listed a family member as personal reference. Solution:
  • Update immediately before finalization
  • Replace with a non-family member
  • If discovered during investigation, it may delay or negatively impact your evaluation

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