How to Select References to Include on Your Resume
When you walk in for an interview, you should come armed with two documents. The first is, of course, his resume. The other document you will need is your reference page for your resume. There are several reasons why you will want to take this with you.
– If your interviewer is really interested, you may want to start reaching out to your references right away. Having your resume reference page handy makes it easy for them.
– In some cases, interviewers will contact references during the interview. This is common when you talk to several different people in a single interview.
– If you have this information organized and ready to hand out, it sounds like you’re well organized.
– You are less likely to appear to have falsified any reference information if it is readily available to you.
Keeping this type of information in a separate document helps keep your resume as clean, organized, and streamlined as possible. That’s much appreciated by HR professionals who scan hundreds of resumes every day. Of course, now that you know why you should make this page, it’s time to look at how to make a resume reference page.
Why not just include the information with your resume?
The main reason to keep your Cheat Sheet separate from your professional resume is to protect the information of those who have agreed to help you. Agreeing to have your information shared with someone who is genuinely interested in hiring you is very different than allowing your contact information to be sent to dozens of different companies advertising job openings. You don’t want your friends, former co-workers, and former employers to get spammed or put on junk email lists because too many people had access to your information.
Keep that information confidential until you are further along in the process. The reference page of your professional resume should be in the eyes of those who will use it for its intended purpose only.
Recruit people for your professional CV Reference page
If you don’t follow any of the other advice in this article, follow this advice. Never reference anyone without letting them know. If they have any doubts about giving you a good recommendation, you’ll want to hear from them. You don’t want a potential employer to hear that. It is also a bit of common courtesy that they are not surprised by sudden calls and emails. It can be a little stressful to ask people to serve as a reference for your resume or resume. Just remember that most people are flattered by the request. After all, you’ve essentially told them that you think their endorsement carries enough weight. A short but friendly email asking if you would be willing to be a reference is fine. A phone call also works. Just be sure to check that you have all the correct contact information.
Write a resume reference page for your own use
One way to learn how to make a resume reference page is to create your first one for yourself. You can use a sample reference page as a guide. There are many of these online. Of course, this isn’t just for practice. If you’ve ever been in an interview where you were also asked to fill out an application, having a personal sample reference page is very helpful. It is much easier to complete the employment history section and the reference section if you have a list of previous employers and their contact numbers. Keep your personal reference page in your pocket, wallet, or even stored on your mobile phone for quick and easy access.
Choose a reference page template
You have several options here. You can find your reference page template online and download it, or you can create your own. The only criteria is that there is a place to enter all the necessary information, that it is presented in a way that makes sense, and that each entry looks the same. You don’t want a potential employer looking for information. Also, avoid using a resume reference page that uses a lot of graphics or other decorative embellishments.
Think conservative when making your selection. Remember that even if you’re in a creative line of work, the person checking your references can be a very hands-on HR staffer.
Determine the sequence of your resume reference page
You are well on your way to learning how to write a reference page for a resume. Now is the time to determine which reference goes where on the sheet. Here’s something to keep in mind, your potential new boss may not call every contact on your list, but they will almost certainly call the first one. So make sure it’s someone who will actually sing your praises. Don’t think in terms of sequence of dates. Put the reference of your flagship at the top. This will be the former boss or coworker who was genuinely in awe of the big project he handled, or who will go on and on about his incredible leadership skills. Be sure to talk about that relationship and experience in your interview as well. You want the interviewer to be excited about contacting that person.
Fill out the reference information
This is the simplest part of the whole process. It is also the easiest to screw up. Take your time. Spell the names correctly. Check and re-verify phone numbers and addresses. If you include links, make sure they are spelled correctly. You don’t want to submit any embarrassing errors or typos. Make sure the interviewer has at least two ways to communicate with each of them.
Offering the reference sheet
There’s no point in learning how to write a reference page for a job if it never makes it into the hands of your potential employer. If they don’t ask for it, feel free to offer it. It can save them a phone call later to ask for the information. It’s also a great way to show you’re interested in the position and moving things forward.
