Resume References

Why It's Important to Keep Resume References Current

Resumes, cover letters and resume references lists are collected by employers as a list of potential candidates in case of an opening. When this occurs, your resume package is examined and sometimes listed references contacted prior to calling you in for an interview. Employers always assume that your resume is current which is why you need to send periodical updates to employers still on your hot list. If your résumé’s references are not current, when the employer’s staffer begins checking, your outdated list will hurt you if your contacts are no longer at the positions you said they were.

List Every Business or Professional Contact

List everyone you know and do your homework before you call. Write down names of former or current co-workers, supervisors, bosses, customers, clients, gatekeepers, secretaries, customer service reps, sales reps, company owners or any other business and professional contacts. List everybody because you'll be surprised as to who will say “OK” and who will decline. Use contact information listed below as a tool to refresh both your memory and that of your contact's:

Name

Position/Title

Company

Company address

Phone

Cell phone

E-Mail

Date met

Where

How Long Known

Capacity

Relationship: casual or professional

When you call your contact, ask her how she prefers to be contacted. Can you list her business phone or would she prefer calls on her cell? The same with email. Business or personal? Some folks don’t like to be contacted at the office for a variety of reasons. And with email accounts now being monitored, it’s not a good idea to have personal requests flowing into somebody’s email account. So get their OK.

During the call, outline a game plan of what you’re trying to do and what you‘re looking for. Emphasize confidentially if needed. Come to agreement on where you first met, how long he’s known you, in what capacity and try to get a feel for what he thinks of you and what he may say. Tell him what position you’re going for and who to expect a call from. If you’re shooting resumes out to several employers, this could be a long list. Just make sure he knows what to expect so he won’t clam up when the call comes. And if there is any hesitation, say thanks and cross the person off your list. Things change. Move on.

Do the Same for Personal Contacts

Your personal contacts are there mainly to provide you with character references. Outline the same game plan when you contact them, again asking about contact preferences and specifics of how long they have known you and what they may say. Some of your friends won’t have any clue as to how long they’ve known you, so tell them. When you list their contact information, even if they are a personal contact, list their professional title if they have one, it always adds creditability.

Name

Professional Title

Phone

Cell phone

E-Mail

Date met

Where

How Long Known

Capacity

How To Format Your Resume References

The best way to format a references list is a simple columned list. This serves two purposes. For one, it’s easy for you to maintain. Two, it provides a lot of space for an employer’s staff to make notes as she calls. Here’s one suggestion for a reference list format:

Professional Contacts

Name

Position/Title

Company

Company address

Phone

Cell phone

E-Mail

How Long Known

Capacity

Relationship: casual or professional

Personal Contacts

Name

Professional Title

Home Address

Phone

Cell phone

E-Mail

How Long Known

Relationship: casual or good friend

The list itself shouldn’t be more than 2-3 pages. Use a font that can be easily read or scanned, such as Times Roman or Courier. Keep the font size at 12.

Keep References Updated

Update your list at least once every four-to-six weeks. Go through your list of contacts and get updated information. At the very least, you’ll re-establish contact with your business and professional associates, which could lead to a job lead opening at a company you haven’t considered. And touching base with your friends is always a good thing. You can also use the list as a tool when you go in for an interview and provide information that the staffer may not have been able to get.