The answer is no.
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Listing your references on a resume that should be a page (or maybe two pages) long is a waste of valuable space. A hiring manager or recruiter does not have the ability to contact the references of everyone who applies for an open position or even everyone they bring in for an interview. So save that space for your resume to detail your skills, achievements, and qualifications.
How about writing “References Available Upon Request” on your resume?
Avoid this too.
There is no need to state anything about references on your resume. He is supposed to share the information when requested,” says Muse race coach Leto Papadopoulos. Don’t waste a resume line to say something that is taken for granted. (After all, you wouldn’t write “Available for interviews upon request,” would you?)
Read on for the right way to list your references, download our template, and see an example.
When do you need references?
“Employers usually check your references just before they’re ready to make an offer,” says Papadopoulos. That’s why you don’t need to provide them when you first apply for a job. But it’s a good idea to have them ready before you land an interview.
If a company is ready to hire you pending a reference check, the last thing you want is to delay asking people to be a reference or collecting their contact information. Instead, you should “have your references ready and keep them updated throughout your search,” says Papadopoulos.
Who should you ask to be a reference?
Most companies will They will ask for two or three references from a candidate, so it is always best to have at least three ready to go. Some prospective employers may ask for a certain mix of reference types, but typically you’ll want to include former managers (or your current manager if they know about your job search and are supportive of you) and past or current colleagues; If you’re early in your career and don’t have many former managers, you could list professors you worked closely with. If you will be leading a team, you may be asked for a reference from a previous direct report. For some customer-facing roles, like account management, companies may want to hear from a former customer or customer, so be sure to read your industry standards.
(Read more about who to reference here, or if you have less work experience, here.)
The Right Way to Provide Your References to an Employer</h2
Once you know who your references will be, you want to make it easy to send them to employers upon request. So you should compile everything you need into a cheat sheet, a handy, well-formatted document that can speed up the hiring process in the final stages.
When the time comes, you can attach your cheat sheet to an email as a Word document or PDF file, or you can simply copy and paste the information into the body of the email.
What information to include in your reference sheet
In your reference sheet, you should list each reference with the following information:
- Name
- Current Position/Job
- Company
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Reference Description: Write a sentence explaining how you know or have worked with this person, where, when and for how long. (See the example below to see what this looks like in action.)
You don’t need to include your reference home or work address; companies will not send anything to them in the mail. And if a referral expresses a strong preference for a certain contact method, it’s okay to put “(preferred contact)” next to that line in your referral list.
To keep things simple for the hiring manager, it’s also a good idea to include your own name, phone number, and email at the top of the sheet (see template and example below) .
Cheat Sheet Template & Example
You can use our template to ensure you have everything you need for all your references.
Download the template here.
This is an example of what your reference sheet might look like:
References by Monica Medina (999) 000-1111 monica. medina@email.com
Nicole Chiu Director of Engineering Sunshine Inc. (555) 123-4567 nchiu@email.com Nicole was my direct manager from 2016 to 2018 when I worked as software developer for Sunshine Inc.
Kwame Smith Front-end software engineer Zapp Co. (111) 222-3333 kwamesmith@email.com Kwame is an engineer with whom I contribute daily in my current role at Zapp Co.
Dr.Carol Moore Professor of Computer Science University of Pennsylvania (123) 987-6543 cmoore@email.edu Carol was my teacher in four different classes and my faculty advisor for my computer science degree.
Keeping references on your resume are not only the standard now, but they’re also more considerate of the people you’ve asked to speak on your behalf. By submitting their names and contact information only when directly requested (usually at the end of the hiring process), you’ll know when a potential new employer will actually contact them, and you can let them know, relay any important information about the job or the company you are requesting and thank them for their help.
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