Do you wonder about how best to leverage and submit your
references during your job search? Here are some tips to
help you:
1. Never submit your references with the resume. You want
to have a face-to-face meeting with the employer, or at the
very least, a telephone interview, before providing
references. The purpose of the resume, at least at this
stage of the job search process, is to generate enough
interest to get you called in for an interview. By listing
references on your resume, you just give the recipient of
your resume another opportunity to screen you out before
you have a chance to sell yourself in person. Also, avoid
the old and overused phrase "references provided on
request." It is taken for granted that you will provide
references on request. There is no need to state on your
resume that you will do so. Listing this on your resume
just takes up valuable space that could be used for more
important data.
2. Former or current direct supervisors make excellent
references, but clients, your former employees, co-workers,
and vendors you have interfaced with often make great
references also. If you have people willing to endorse you
whose names are recognizable in your industry or profession
and who will add credibility to your job search, by all
means include them--and do so prominently. But, don't
neglect to include references from people at all levels,
particularly those in positions that represent the people
you would have to interact with on a real-world, day-to-day
basis in your next job.
3. As much as possible, you will want to maintain
connections with "old" colleagues and other people that you
worked with or associated with in past jobs. While the most
current references will often hold the most weight, having
no references from past employers can look suspect.
Recruiters may wonder, for example, if you left your past
employer on bad terms or if you had or have trouble
establishing strong professional relationships. If you
have lost touch with old colleagues, you might try looking
for them on LinkedIn or other professional networking sites.
4. Contact each person that you intend to list as a
reference and ask for their permission. Never provide
someone as a reference unless you have discussed it with
them first and briefed them on your current job search.
Verify the contact information for each reference and ask
for permission to list a telephone number and email
address. When relevant, you will want to list the name of
your reference, along with their current job title and the
company at which they work. While mailing addresses are
rarely necessary, you should include at least the city and
state (or country, if the reference is an international
one). You should also include the preferred telephone
number and email address for the reference.
5. Bring a professionally typed and formatted list of
references with you to the interview, preferably with a
font and formatting style that is consistent with your
resume. To really stand out from the competition, you can
make your references list a powerful part of your overall
marketing presentation by including a brief background of
how the person knows you and for how many years, along with
a summary of the qualifications and achievements that your
reference can speak to. If you worked together on a key
project, for example, this would be the place to mention
it. Formatting your references in this way transforms a
simple listing of references into a references dossier, and
will give you true competitive advantage once the selection
process begins, as very few (if any) of your competitors
will provide references in this memorable and highly
professional way.
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Nationally certified resume writer and career coach,
Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive Career
Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com
Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of Secrets of a
Successful Job Search http://www.job-search-secrets.com
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