You are in the job interview process for a position that matches your interests and capabilities and all is looking good. Your cover letter and resume were impressive and your first round of interviews went well. Now for the next part: supplying references. Yes, you have performed well enough that the company is now interested in talking to people who know you personally. Depending on your experience and the position you are applying for, the references you choose can be what makes or breaks you. Getting the right three people as references will determine whether your chances for being offered a position are good or not. Please read on for some tips on how to select winning references.
Most people close their resume with the statement, “References: Furnishing Upon Request.” This conclusion is perfectly acceptable as hiring experts generally frown on references being listed on a resume for two reasons: space is limited and references frequently change. Never mind that the people being “referenced” probably do not want their name on every single copy of your resume — save that information for a separate sheet of paper!
When deciding upon references, please keep in mind a few things:
- Choose people who know you and know how well you work. This cannot include immediate family or a friend who doesn’t work with you.
- Talk to people you want to use as a reference for their permission to be contacted. If you expect that they are about to be called by someone you recently handed your references to, let them know that they are about to be contacted by a prospective employer.
- Make certain that your references’ contact information is current.
- If you do not have much work experience, then a teacher, scout leader, or some other person who knows you can be an adequate reference. At this point, the company is looking for someone to verify your character.
Once you have nailed down three references (three being the number typically requested) then put that information on a separate piece of paper, the same quality of bond paper you use for your resume and cover letter. Put your contact information on the top and then list the three references with all of their contact information. If you leave your personal information off the reference sheet and it gets lost, then how will people know that the information supplied is from you? Do not forget this critical step!
List the reference’s name, title, company, address, email, and phone number. Only list a cell phone number if you have permission to do so. You can add a line or two in explaining how the person knows you i.e., “Mr. Doe was my supervisor at Widgets Corporation.”
Generally, you only need to have a handful of reference sheets at the ready. Recommended: only supply references when requested; if you are applying for a position you should enclose a cover letter and resume; save the reference sheet for that point in the interview when it has been personally requested.
Author Information:
Copyright 2007-2008 — Matthew C. Keegan is the administrator for JetEmployment as well as a blogger who pens The Article Writer blog.