Is Having the Wrong References Hurting Your Job Search?

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References Check, Please!

Quick, think about your résumé: is there a line at the bottom of the page that reads "References Available Upon Request?" If you answered (honestly) "yes," that can mean one or any combination of the following:

• It's been a while since you updated your résumé
• The latest articles on résumé writing tips weren't on your summer reading list
• The template you used to "write" your résumé had it built in already

References are an important component of an overall job search, yet so many job seekers, active and passive, pay little or no attention to that part of the process. And a process it is, one in which many people put so much of the focus on the upfront elements: the résumé, the job search and the interview, and tend to overlook, or completely forget about, the make-or-break references.

In fact, some job seekers have to go in search of their references after the fact i.e., it's a throwaway line on the résumé, and the job seeker hasn't lined up any references before undertaking a job search. In short order, an interview takes place, an offer is about to be tendered based on a reference check, and then panic sets in. Even with access to the almost instant communication offered by a quick text, it may be too late.

So, here are my three simple rules for job-related references:

• Have them - and make sure they're current
• Inform them - as often as necessary
• Thank them - you'll all be glad you did

Let's look at each one more closely.

HAVE THEM, ideally before you undertake any career exploration or job search. The prevailing wisdom, such that it is, is to have at least three references:

• One with whom you currently do business with or work for (or most recently worked for or have done business with
• Someone you work for, maybe your boss or your boss's boss (unless this is a confidential search, of course)
• A personal reference, perhaps from a volunteer, professional or community organization where you've made a positive contribution e.g., coached the soccer team to a winning season, got a website up and running in two days

Other variations on references might include: someone who reported to you (I dislike the word "subordinate,"); someone you mentored in a business setting; a workshop participant you inspired; or someone who proactively asked you to mentor them. Some career advice professionals suggest having different sets of references based upon the target job or career, or related to the skill set(s) highlighted in the job search.

Others offer that a targeted letter of recommendation, when accompanying a well constructed résumé, can be a powerful upfront tool that opens an interview door that might not otherwise open with just the résumé.

Whichever your reference preference, I recommend you Google them, check LinkedIn, Facebook and other business networking and social media sites to assure yourself you've chosen well and wisely. It's best to do this before you ask them, which I'm confident you'll do via a personal call or email to them. Reference checking your planned references beforehand could avoid a potentially sticky moment.

By the way, there's no need to include the phrase "References available upon Request" on the résumé document. It's understood that if asked, you'll provide.

INFORM THEM when you begin the process of job change, job search, career transition, etc. In fact, it's both smart and helpful to share a copy of your résumé with your references at the outset of any search.

And, when you submit for a position, either in response to a job posting or as proactive outreach, drop a brief, informational note to your references so they can understand what type of position(s) you're targeting. Include the URL/link to the job posting, or a copy/paste equivalent. If you've modified your résumé to correspond to a particular posting/description, include the modified résumé with the note along with the posting itself. Bottom line: help them help you!

This works best when you undertake a strategic search, carefully identifying and narrowing down prospects before applying for a position. It does not work, however, if you're mindlessly applying to every posting in sight, "cc'ing" your references each and every time! Sooner or later, your references are likely to say "no no!" You want your references in your corner; you don't want to alienate them as the result of overcrowded inboxes filled with mixed posting messages.

Finally, THANK THEM! First, when they agree to be a reference. Thank them, too, when they are contacted by a prospective employer (outcome notwithstanding); this process may need to be repeated, hopefully not. Then, after you have the written confirmation of employment in hand, thank them again.

Just how you express your appreciation for the part they played is up to you: a handwritten note (yes, hand written!); a personalized eCard; a bottle of wine; a gift card, a magnum of Veuve Rosé, a cruise, something meaningful to them, etc. For all you know, their reference could have been the successful deal closer! Choice, time, budget, and distance may vary, but gratitude should be consistent, forthcoming and authentic.

References: have them, inform them, thank them. You'll be glad you did (and so will I).

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Resume Writing Tips - Professional and Personal References

References in resume play a vital role in proving your suitability for the job. They are generally categorized in two categories: Professional and personal. Both these are important when applying for any job position. References in your resume will help employers to know your work efficiency. Remember that these references for resume are provided by the immediate seniors at the job or the people holding reputed position in the society. You cannot mention the reference from every person.

References in the resume are required to explain your work efficiency and ability. It tells your potential employer how you are at your work and how efficiently you complete your assigned tasks. These details can be provided either by your colleague or your immediate senior who has monitored your work or supervised your activities. Hence, references cannot be provided by any individual. Now we discuss about the two categories of references.

Professional References

When you are applying for any position, employer may ask you for professional reference. These references are provided by the individuals those have worked with you or monitored your work and those who can assure your ability. They have to tell your potential employer about your punctuality, honesty, work ethics and other virtues. They are generally asked if you are applying for the technical jobs. For such references, you must include the full name of the person, designation in the company, name of the company, address and contact number of the company. Also provide e-mail address of the company.

Personal References

Personal references are required to attest the quality of the person's overall character. It can be given by any religious leader who is the contact person at any charity event that you volunteered, or any other such person who can provide attestation for your character. It can also be provided by the landlord where you have stayed for long time or by the teacher whose class you have taken. Personal references play a significant role when you are looking for the position that requires trust. Not everyone can provide personal references. These have to be provided by the people those are respected in the society. Mention the full name of the person providing reference, title of the person, complete address and contact number. Mention the e-mail address if available.

There are few things that you must keep in mind before you are listing the references in your resume. Before including the names of the people, make sure to inform them and tell them the type of job profile you are applying for. People you list as reference should give a positive feedback about you. If the person is uninformed, he may not know why the employer is calling him and may tell vague things about you. Hence, it is necessary to inform the individual before including his/her name as reference.

You can provide these references along with resume or write it on the separate paper and carry it with you at the time of the personal interview. Present them when asked by the employer. Sometimes you may not need them until you are called back for the second interview. When listing the references, contact 3-5 people from your professional field and personal field and see if they can give any positive remark about you. Categorize them into professional and personal references. Also mention the details of how you know the person and for how long.

Alan is a genius whose area of interest is article writing. He is a professional resume writer. Resume cover letter and Resume references plays an important role in resume writing.

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Polite Method To Get Resume References

After a certain point of time in your professional life, the employers will start asking you about resume references. It is asked because the company is really keen on recruiting you. Thus, it is very important to prepare a list of those professionals, who will verify and approve your skills and qualification for the job. The most important thing to keep in mind is, always think about positive resume references who will speak in a positive manner about you. Those who aren't sure about you, avoid them. You should take proper permission from those people whose name you will put in the reference list.

While writing the names of the people, you trust for references, you can prepare a separate list of them, and attach to your resume. Prepare it before the interview, so that if the employer asks for it, you must be ready with it. Include at least 3 to 4 references along with their designation, employer and contact details. But if the employer tells you to send references via email, then paste the list in the body of the email besides attaching. Once you are done with preparing the list, cross check and proof read it. Check that all the necessary details have been added and they can be easily contacted.

Make sure that whenever you switch on to other job; ask for reference from your seniors and colleagues. In this way, you can maintain a file of recommendations from people you may not be able to be in contact after years. Other important thing you should keep in mind is giving all details from time to time, demanded by those whom you are asking to refer you.

Before concluding, there are few more criterion to think. One of the essential understandings you should have is to greet the referee with a letter of thanks. Maintain your network of recommendation with a phone call or notes to be in touch. You need to do this because you never know when you will need help of a particular person you met in the past.

On the employer's side, he/she should ask for your permission before contacting your references. It is because, if the person contacts directly and you may not have informed the person in advance, the referee may find it difficult to communicate. Thus, inform in advance to the people you have referred to talk about your work.

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Including References on Your Professional Resume

I recently had a conversation with a job seeker who told me that she was unable to send out her resume because she was waiting on a reference to come back to her. I was shocked to hear this and asked her why she was even putting references on her resume in the first place. She told me it was "the standard thing to do on a resume".

A hiring manager wants to know what value you can bring to the business. They are interested in your experience and skills, and therefore these are the areas that need to be highlighted. Including referees/references on your resume is not required. Not only does it take up an unnecessary amount of room on your resume, but it also does not add any value to your initial application. All that is required is to write the following four words at the very end of your resume:

"REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST"

Employers will NEVER contact referees without speaking to you first. Think about it - why would they? Would you bother doing research on a potential candidate without even having a conversation with them first? A hiring manager or recruiter sees hundreds of resumes on a daily basis. Do you think they have time to start reading through candidates referees and contacting them directly. This will never occur.

Contacting a referee is generally the final stage in the job process. Employers and hiring mangers, more than anything, rely on their own judgments and will contact your referees as a final step in the process. Only at this time will an employer ask you for a list of references to contact.

Great references do help and if the decision is down to two candidates, your choice of references could be the extra difference in getting offered the job. Have your references ready and available if they are going to be contacted, however first try to focus on presenting all the right information in your resume and cover letter.

How the job search process works:

• Write a professional resume and cover letter that highlights your achievements, skills and experiences to convince the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job. Present your qualities in a well structured and formatted selling document.

• Network with friends, family and associates (Use online networking to create contacts and build relationships).

• Apply for jobs directly or through recruitment agents.

• Interview stage

• The employer will contact references and perform background checks.

• Job offer

RedStarResume are the Resume Writing Experts. They offer a resume writing service that is unmatched in its professional attitude and quality of service. RedStarResume have helped thousands of job seekers meet and achieve their career goals through delivering specialist resume writing that seeks the attention of hiring managers and ensures that you stand out from the crowd.

© RedStarResume Publications - http://www.redstarresume.com/

Read more ...

Including References on Your Professional Resume

I recently had a conversation with a job seeker who told me that she was unable to send out her resume because she was waiting on a reference to come back to her. I was shocked to hear this and asked her why she was even putting references on her resume in the first place. She told me it was "the standard thing to do on a resume".

A hiring manager wants to know what value you can bring to the business. They are interested in your experience and skills, and therefore these are the areas that need to be highlighted. Including referees/references on your resume is not required. Not only does it take up an unnecessary amount of room on your resume, but it also does not add any value to your initial application. All that is required is to write the following four words at the very end of your resume:

"REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST"

Employers will NEVER contact referees without speaking to you first. Think about it - why would they? Would you bother doing research on a potential candidate without even having a conversation with them first? A hiring manager or recruiter sees hundreds of resumes on a daily basis. Do you think they have time to start reading through candidates referees and contacting them directly. This will never occur.

Contacting a referee is generally the final stage in the job process. Employers and hiring mangers, more than anything, rely on their own judgments and will contact your referees as a final step in the process. Only at this time will an employer ask you for a list of references to contact.

Great references do help and if the decision is down to two candidates, your choice of references could be the extra difference in getting offered the job. Have your references ready and available if they are going to be contacted, however first try to focus on presenting all the right information in your resume and cover letter.

How the job search process works:

• Write a professional resume and cover letter that highlights your achievements, skills and experiences to convince the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job. Present your qualities in a well structured and formatted selling document.

• Network with friends, family and associates (Use online networking to create contacts and build relationships).

• Apply for jobs directly or through recruitment agents.

• Interview stage

• The employer will contact references and perform background checks.

• Job offer

RedStarResume are the Resume Writing Experts. They offer a resume writing service that is unmatched in its professional attitude and quality of service. RedStarResume have helped thousands of job seekers meet and achieve their career goals through delivering specialist resume writing that seeks the attention of hiring managers and ensures that you stand out from the crowd.

© RedStarResume Publications - http://www.redstarresume.com/

Read more ...

Polite Method To Get Resume References

After a certain point of time in your professional life, the employers will start asking you about resume references. It is asked because the company is really keen on recruiting you. Thus, it is very important to prepare a list of those professionals, who will verify and approve your skills and qualification for the job. The most important thing to keep in mind is, always think about positive resume references who will speak in a positive manner about you. Those who aren't sure about you, avoid them. You should take proper permission from those people whose name you will put in the reference list.

While writing the names of the people, you trust for references, you can prepare a separate list of them, and attach to your resume. Prepare it before the interview, so that if the employer asks for it, you must be ready with it. Include at least 3 to 4 references along with their designation, employer and contact details. But if the employer tells you to send references via email, then paste the list in the body of the email besides attaching. Once you are done with preparing the list, cross check and proof read it. Check that all the necessary details have been added and they can be easily contacted.

Make sure that whenever you switch on to other job; ask for reference from your seniors and colleagues. In this way, you can maintain a file of recommendations from people you may not be able to be in contact after years. Other important thing you should keep in mind is giving all details from time to time, demanded by those whom you are asking to refer you.

Before concluding, there are few more criterion to think. One of the essential understandings you should have is to greet the referee with a letter of thanks. Maintain your network of recommendation with a phone call or notes to be in touch. You need to do this because you never know when you will need help of a particular person you met in the past.

On the employer's side, he/she should ask for your permission before contacting your references. It is because, if the person contacts directly and you may not have informed the person in advance, the referee may find it difficult to communicate. Thus, inform in advance to the people you have referred to talk about your work.

Read more ...

Polite Method To Get Resume References

After a certain point of time in your professional life, the employers will start asking you about resume references. It is asked because the company is really keen on recruiting you. Thus, it is very important to prepare a list of those professionals, who will verify and approve your skills and qualification for the job. The most important thing to keep in mind is, always think about positive resume references who will speak in a positive manner about you. Those who aren't sure about you, avoid them. You should take proper permission from those people whose name you will put in the reference list.

While writing the names of the people, you trust for references, you can prepare a separate list of them, and attach to your resume. Prepare it before the interview, so that if the employer asks for it, you must be ready with it. Include at least 3 to 4 references along with their designation, employer and contact details. But if the employer tells you to send references via email, then paste the list in the body of the email besides attaching. Once you are done with preparing the list, cross check and proof read it. Check that all the necessary details have been added and they can be easily contacted.

Make sure that whenever you switch on to other job; ask for reference from your seniors and colleagues. In this way, you can maintain a file of recommendations from people you may not be able to be in contact after years. Other important thing you should keep in mind is giving all details from time to time, demanded by those whom you are asking to refer you.

Before concluding, there are few more criterion to think. One of the essential understandings you should have is to greet the referee with a letter of thanks. Maintain your network of recommendation with a phone call or notes to be in touch. You need to do this because you never know when you will need help of a particular person you met in the past.

On the employer's side, he/she should ask for your permission before contacting your references. It is because, if the person contacts directly and you may not have informed the person in advance, the referee may find it difficult to communicate. Thus, inform in advance to the people you have referred to talk about your work.

Read more ...

When Providing References Is a Challenge

Most often, job seekers find themselves in a difficult position where for them to provide a reference becomes a real challenge. In some cases, the current employer of these job seekers may see them leaving the company as a sign of high treason, which for them is enough to make the lives of the employees miserable. For this reason, using your current employer as a reference could result in serious problem; hence, it requires you to be careful.

First of all, you should make it clear that your current manager and/or boss should not be contacted, during your interviews as well as on job applications. Even still, it is very unlikely that an interviewer contacts your current manager. This is simply not done this way, as everybody knows that checking on a current employer will always put the employee in a bad position.

It is best to select at least three references. One personal reference is also fine; however they do not hold much credibility. This is because most employers will be convinced that your personal references would most likely be your good friends and ally who would have no actual work experience with you.

You might want to consider people who have left your employer and are working with somebody else, while trying to search for references that are good and who knows your work well. It does not necessarily have to be your manager to speak about your work, work ethic, and your reputation. For this reason, you can turn towards your former coworkers from your previous employers. They may be with vendors, consultants, or contract workers, which you may have worked with. In addition, you can also have some associates from the volunteer work you have done, who have seen you in action. Still, if you are coming up short, you can simply explain that most of your previous employers as well as coworkers are unreachable.

In case, the interviewer makes you an offer; however, he or she insist to have a current reference, it is better that you consider using a coworker who you can easily trust. This is because; at this point it will not make much of a difference, because the news is going to leak out soon in any case. Even then they pressure you for the name of your current manager, you can reply by telling that he is one of the reason you are trying to leave your current job and he (your current employer) have been very vindictive to people who have left in the past. You can further add-on, suggesting to your interviewer to go over your past performance reviews, from which they will be able to see your excellent work performance and work habits, rather than calling your manager.

Chances are that if you have overwhelmed your interviewer during your interview, they hear good reviews about you from some other people and go through your documentation having excellent work performance, they will be satisfied enough to give you your dream job.

Bryan Goldberg is a professional writer who has helped numerous applicants with their resumes, CVs and cover letters. He is a regular contributor to online article directories for instructional articles about resume, CV and cover letter writing.

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