Looking for a job is usually a stressful situation whether the economy is good or bad. But it gets worse if you don't already have glowing references. References need to sing your praises, not the other way around. The Creative Group recently surveyed over 200 advertising and marketing executives asking them to describe their most unusual reference checks. Here is some of what they came up with.

One woman used her mother as a reference, though she had not really ever worked for her mother

One reference indicated that the prospect they were interviewing liked going barefoot all day

One reference said that the applicant they were thinking of hiring doesn't really like the industry in which she was trying to get the job

One reference they checked just started laughing; he could not believe that he was being used as a reference

One reference said that the candidate was hyper and off the wall

One reference said the candidate slept during work hours

One reference said the candidate was adamant on setting his own schedule and rules

And you thought you had heard it all ...

Have you ever had any unusual reference checks? Please share the humor!