Choosing the Best References for your Resume

Many job seekers put little thought into their references, instead preferring to concentrate on resumes and cover letters. This is an easy mistake to make—after all, few employers will carry out an extensive background search. However, most will contact at least a couple of people on your reference list, so it’s worthwhile putting some time into making sure your references will work for you.

1.) Use only Current and Specific References

Employers who want to see your references don’t want generic recommendation letters from people who aren’t available to be contacted. With the exception of educational or personal references (who won’t necessarily discuss your professional attributes), all of your references should be people that an employer can contact to talk about your professional skills and qualities.

2.) Choose the Right People

Naturally your references should be people who will say good things about you. That is not the only consideration, however. You’ll also want to choose references who can discuss the professional qualities that make you a good candidate for the specific position you’re applying for. It pays to have as extensive a list of references as you can manage, so that you can tailor your references to the job. This is one reason why your reference list should not be part of your resume. Keep the list separate, but make sure it has a similar format and look.

3.) Separate your References into Categories

Most of your references will be work-related, but you may also want to include an educational reference (if you have recently graduated) and a personal reference. If this is the case, your reference list should reflect this—each of your references should be clearly marked, so that an employer knows what type of reference they’re contacting.

4.) Get Permission from your References

This may be a fairly obvious point but it’s worth mentioning. The people you select to act as references must be prepared to speak on your behalf, so they must know in advance that you’d like them to do so. You’ll also need detailed information from each of your references—their name, company name and job title, and business address, as well as contact information.

5.) Make sure your References have Up-to-Date Information

All of your references should have a copy of your current resume, and should be familiar with your professional skills and achievements. The best references are people who know you well and can speak positively about you.

Also, please review our Interview Tips & Tools section.  If you need more help, please consider using a Career Counselor.