I had 6 weeks of annual leave saved up. Im changing to a job that pays significantly more than my current salary. When my boss asked me what it would take to stay, I asked for a salary increase of 35% which he begrudingly gave me. Then I quit. This equated to an entitlement payout of about $10,700 instead of $8000 on my previous rate, an extra $2700. And the new job still pays more than the increased rate I asked for.
It’s hit or miss. Some employers check your references diligently and others don’t.
When I hired someone (creative field) we definitely checked their job title in conjunction with what their portfolio looked like, whether they passed a test and how well they interviewed.
Some had great references, but not those other things.
If you can’t do your job and don’t know basic things, I don’t care who you know. They would get further screened for educational and criminal background anyways.