Whether you’re applying for your first role, or for a promotion, one area which can often be confusing is the referees on resume documents. There are lots of opinions on what details to include and how to list them.
The reference section is often one of the smallest areas on a resume, and therefore, can sometimes not have as much time dedicated to it. So in this article, we’ll look at the referee resume section and talk about how to show references on a resume to boost your chance of landing an interview for a dream role.
One of the first questions that is often asked is whether you should name the section references or referees. It can depend around the world what term is used, but in Australia, the preferred term in referees, with references being the term best described as the written statement or information provided by the previous employer or other trusted individual about you.
Therefore, when creating your resume, be sure to name the section referees.
This section should be at the bottom of the resume, allowing for all the information such as your skills, work history, personal statement, and qualifications to come first.
Every application you send to hiring managers should include a section for referees. A referee resume section is relatively easy to add on and has very little space dedicated to it. A good resume reference example would be like this:
Manager Name, Position, Company, Phone Number, Email
This simple format allows for all the information to be included and allows for the individual to be contacted with ease. It is highly recommended not to put “Referees available on request”. It portrays the idea that you don’t have any referees to provide, which can harm your application chances.
A reference for resume applications should never be directly added to the document. There are two reasons for this:
So if you’re wondering ‘how do I list references on a resume’, the simple answer is you don’t.
You shouldn’t know what a referee has said about you and you don’t know what information the hiring company wants from the contact.
Therefore, just list the referees on your resume. These can be done relatively easily.
Numerous opinions exist on how many referees you need on a resume. The first thing you should do is look at the job application specifics to see if there are particular instructions. Otherwise, it is best to list three referees on your resume.
Three referees are enough to provide evidence for your soft skills and work ethic. Be sure that you ask all those that you’re putting on your resume that they will be happy for you to list them. A call out of the blue might be a little concerning for them, and they may be less willing to provide the reference for you.
Some people struggle to find three people to act as referees for any job application. If you’re new to the job market or haven’t kept in touch with some of your past working colleagues, then this can be a real concern.
However, there are several ways that you can get past this. Here are some suggestions for you to consider when you’re low on referees for a job application.
Forrmer or Current Managers: Those who have been in a leadership position at your previous job roles.
Colleagues: Colleagues can provide an objective view of your job performance and soft skills.
Volunteer Managers: If you volunteer anywhere, then you can use managers or fellow volunteers to act as a referee for you.
Teachers/Professors: Those that you’ve done studies with can help with referees. They can normally attest to your work ethic.
Clients: Those who’ve worked for themselves in the past can sometimes include clients as good referees.
Friends: As a last resort, friends in a profession (lawyer, accountant, health worker, etc.) can be used when you’ve not got anyone else. These people should also be known for at least one year.
One issue that you might have is that you haven’t told your current boss that you’re looking for a new role. There can be numerous reasons for this, such as your current manager not being good at handling people leaving, or that you don’t want to damage any working relationship if you don’t get the job.
Or you might not trust the individual to keep your current job search discreet from others in the work environment.
Therefore, you sometimes might want to say that you don’t want to have certain people contacted until your application has progressed. This can be done, and is often accepted by hiring managers. However, if you need to do this, it should be limited to one referee, and then two who can be contacted.
Referees on resumes can be relatively confusing for many applying for public sector roles. Above is a quick guide on some of the best practices that you can use to ensure that your application is progressed through the good work of those who’ve worked with you.
Remember that referees are not going to get you an interview in many job applications, but they can be the difference between a successful job hunt and staying in your current role. Carefully choosing those that will provide you with a good reference is critical to success. You should attempt to reach out to these people first and be sure that they’ll be happy to provide you with a reference.
