• Life Advice & Visual Arts Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    🌌 Share Your Dreams! 🌌
    📸 15 Years of Photo Contests 📸
  • LAVA Moderator: Mysterier

References for a resume'/ C.V.?

Snakecharmer

Snakecharmer

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 6, 2000
Messages
2,811
It's that time....the job hunt.


I've compiled myself a pretty decent looking resume', but the problem is that I also have a decent list of sources/contacts available for my use as well. What has been anyone's experience with this sort of thing? Personally I want to list five, but for some reason I keep hearing three is the magic number. Thoughts?
 
it's always been my understanding that the conventional wisdom is not to include references on your resume but to put a placeholder along the lines of "references available on request".

generally, an employer won't check references until they have made the decision to hire you. if they need references, they'll get in touch with you and they'll ask. you can then provide them with references who are most relevant to the position in question. at this time, you can also brief your references and be sure they're going to be available to provide a reference in a timely manner.

ensure your references are dependable. it's annoying to be in a position where an employer has basically decided to hire you depending on references checking out and having yoru references keep the employer hanging. probably worthwhile have at least four references ready with, perhaps three or four in reserve.

of course, never list somebody as a reference without getting their permission first. also, it's a common courtesy to tell a reference any time you have submitted their name.

good luck.

alasdair
 
^^ What aladairm said :)

However I always thought that 3 good references was enough.

Good luck!
 
dammit! alisdair is beating me to my best opportunities for replies. And he's saying everything better than I would :X

But, I'll make a feeble attempt to supplement his comments. 3 is the most common minimum, and if possible have a mix of peers and supervisors (possibly one subordinate if you were in a supervisory position and looking for another one). I usually kept a list of six people (2 superiors, 2-3 peers, and 1-2 subordinates), and contacted the people every time I submitted their name so they knew they might get called, what the position/company was I was applying to, what type of qualifications they were looking for (to prep them for responses) - and it usually worked pretty well.

Do NOT include family members. If you don't have much work experience and therefore few work references, use professors from school - that is just as valid for someone entering the work force. Some of them will offer to write a letter of recommendation that you can just copy and send in when asked for references (though it usually includes their phone and addy for verification).
 
[way off topic]
2 posts. 2 complete mispellings of my name :(

i should be used to it by now. you know, cutting and pasting it is 6 fewer keystrokes :)
[/way off topic]

:)

alasdair
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys :)


I'll go ahead and type up a separate sheet to have on hand in case they do need to see my references. Chances are they will, which is great! Bring it on, life~!!
 
Obviously...everyone I used as a reference was named Jim, Bill, or Bob...can't screw that up ;)

Goodluck SC

ps for alicedarem...get a real name :p
 
alasdairm said:

2 posts. 2 complete mispellings of my name :(
Click to expand...


Consider it a typo! My brain seems to go heaps faster than my fingers - usually I miss entire words in sentences... :\
 
I use only phone references. I don't really see written references anymore. Referes are better. Most companies like these!

shals :D
 
I am a recruiter with my own business. Do not put your references on you resume and try to keep the resume itself to one page if possible. Good advice from Alicedairm.
 
*giggles*

sorry I can't help but giggle at the mispellings of Alasdair's name. (I think the last one was intentional - but in good fun)
 
Some useful suggestions about resumes'....

> As Apneist said, use only one page for your resume
> Format your reference page the same as your resume
> You're fresh out of college right? I would suggest having 2-3 work references, as well as 2-3 academic references, with each titled respectively.
> Contact each person before hand and ask for their permission. Generate a packet that is a biography of yourself; what your goals are, experiences, classes with grades, etc. and distribute these to the reference. This is especially handy if you use Profs. who you haven't talked to in a while. This is also a must for grad school.
> In general, companies aren't calling references until they have chosen you, and they generally have a standard set of questioning.

Good luck, it's a beast out there!
 
i don't know what to make of this one-page resume suggestion.

i attended college and university and have been a working professional for 14 years - working for a number of companies and in a number of different positions.

i have numerous different resume configurations which i use depending on the circumstances. further, i am a writer with some experience cramming a lot of information into very few words but it's almost impossible for me to deliver anything that gives a meaningful picture of my value in one page (i'm assuming when you say 1 page you mean one side of letter/A4 paper?)

my feeling is, that unless your resume is poorly designed and goes on for ever, having a resume which is 3 pages long (3 sides, that is) is really not the end of the world these days.

it's even less of a problem when you consider that it's more likely a resume will be delivered electronically where the concept of a page is a touch more abstract.

while i agree that it's good practice to keep a resume efficient, i think there's a tendency to write the one-page rule in stone when that's not necessary.

lots of good advice in this thread.

alasdair
 
i must agree with the...

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

...line.

There is so much to put in your resume that might be more important. Of all the items in a resume, references are probably the least likely to spark any sort of recognition in the person who's reading it. They have no idea who Rev. Bob or Professor Harry is. I have heard from people that work in HR for larger companies that the one-page guideline is more essential. The smaller companies which I have worked for seem to be more accepting of the two-page resume (the length of mine), and I've never seen a three page resume, but I haven't been a professional for 14 years either :)

Something that seems to be missing in a lot of resumes is a Relevant Experience or Client Experience section. To me, this is what often gives one job candidate an edge over another, at least for the people I have hired. This is the place to make some sort of connection with a future employer. good luck.
 
As it stands, I think the resume' I have itself is professionally organized and well-designed thanks to some help from an old friend who was a whiz at this sort of thing in her younger days. Anyway... with a little fine-tuning I give it after my internship is complete in August it will be in fine shape. Fine tuning my references is definately a must now; and I loved the advice from JohnP3000 about 2-3 references from the academic and work related fields I've been in. Thankyou!

:)
 
definitely go with a separate references sheet. make sure you include your name, address, and phone number at the top. when you list your references, make sure you include their phone number, address, email if available, and their relation to you (how they know you'd be a good employee)

personally, i have 3 references on my sheet. most applications only ask for 3. i do have a couple more that i could add if i'm ever asked for more.

i think having the references sheet is a good idea. when they ask for your references, you can just hand them a copy of your paper (makes you look really prepared). also, you don't have to worry about mixing up someone's name/address/phone number on the application when you're nervous enough as it is.
 
My problem right now is picking and finding the referances.

All of that apathy and non-participation in church, organised sports and extra-curriculars is really coming back to bite me in the ass too.

I can always work at McDonald's :|
 
I don't use references any more, I only use referees. I had six referees on my last job application. Two technical people who were aware of my technical capability, two people in middle/senior management and two character referees.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top