Types Of References That Matter On A Resume
When seeking a job, you need to either provide a few references on your resume or mention separately according to the employers requirement.
Giving references means the listed people are familiar with your talent, skills and work ethic and are willing to give their testimonial. You can use various types of references, depending on the nature of the job and the potential employers demand.
You may often get confused between mentioning your personal or professional references. The nature of references should depend on the type of job you are applying for, your domain expertise, experience, and the relevance of references in this context.
The mentioned references should be able to vouch for your qualifications, skills and achievements to the prospective employer.
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What Is A Good Font For A Resume And Cover Letter
What is the best font for a resume?
Arial, Helvetica and Verdana are three of the most common fonts used in resumes. These fonts are easy to read and look good on paper. Whats great about them is that they have a very clean look that looks professional.
They also dont take up much room on the page, so employers wont have to scroll down too far if they want to see your work experience or education history.
What is the best font for a cover letter?
It depends on whether you are sending an email or printing out your letter before sending it through snail mail .
If emailing your cover letter, Times New Roman will be fine because most people use this font when typing up emails anyway.
However, if printing out your cover letter then Courier New would be best because Courier New was designed specifically for typewriters back in the day.
Therefore makes reading easier than other fonts like Times New Roman which were designed later on for computers with different operating systems like Windows compared with Mac OS X which had its own unique set of rules regarding spacing between letters/words etcetera.
Who Makes A Good Reference On A Resume
Here are some contacts you may consider using as a reference:
- Previous employer
- Business partners
Whether youve had a long work history or a short one, there are specific individuals who make better references than others. Include people who are working professionals in your industry, if possible. When considering your choices, think about who would provide the best information about you. Only include people who know you well and who can speak highly of you.
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Get Recommendations On Linkedin
Whilst this is not strictly a CV tip, its a great alternative to adding references to your CV.
During my time working in recruitment, every recruiter I worked with used extensively and the vast majority still do.
In fact, a recent survey carried out by Jobvite found that 87% of all recruiters used LinkedIn to find or screen candidates.
This means that there is a very strong chance that recruiters will look you up on LinkedIn if you apply for one of their roles.
So, what are looking for?
- They are making sure that your public profile matches up with the details on your CV
- They are looking for social proof of your claims in the form of recommendations
Writing something impressive about yourself is great, but its much more powerful if somebody else writes something impressive about you especially if that person is a senior figure in your industry. So, getting plenty of recommendations on your LinkedIn profile gives it a serious boost.
Reach out to as many of your ex-managers or stakeholders as possible and ask them for a recommendation.
Send them a simple message on LinkedIn like this one.
Hi Steve
Hope youre well and still enjoying your time at Company X
I was wondering if you might do me a huge favour and leave me a gleaming LinkedIn recommendation for the time we worked together?
It would be greatly appreciated and Id be happy to return the favour or perhaps get you a coffee some time soon
Kind regards
Andrew
Resume References Example: How To Write Your References
For example, if we were writing up references to accompany Alexa Campbell’s resume, they might look something like this:
When choosing your professional references, select 35 people who you have insight into your hard and soft skills and who you trust to say good things about you and your job performance. Click on the following link for more information on how to select the right references for your job search.
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Are References Necessary On A Resume
Yes, references are necessary on a resume. If you dont have references and employers ask for them, it can be difficult to explain why you werent able to provide them.
A reference is someone who can attest to your skills and abilities it could be a past or current employer, or a professor or supervisor.
References are often sought by companies when theyre considering hiring you because they want proof that youre capable of doing the job and not just in theory!
How To Make A Dedicated Reference Page
It is not desirable to include references on your resume unless youre specifically requested to do so on the job advertisement the best alternative isa dedicated reference page that you send to the recruiter on request. This is a private document and you shouldnt upload this on LinkedIn or any job search website.
Heres a step by step guide to creating one on your own:
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Why Do Employers Need References
Employers typically request references from their top two or three candidates in order to learn more about each person, factoring that information into their final decision. References are an opportunity for a potential employer to learn more about your past work and impactâand to gain an outside perspective on any lingering concerns.
How To List References On Resume
Your resume references arent the deciding factor for whether or not you land your next job position. That being said, there are right and wrong ways for listing your references on a resume.
In the case you want to include references, they should only be on the second page of your resume. Otherwise, as mentioned, completely omit them from your application in the first place.
So, what should the resume references section look like?
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Why Its Not A Good Idea To Include References On Your Resume
There are many reasons why its not a good idea:
1. Privacy issues
Back then, a resume was a private and confidential document that the candidate printed on a paper, sometimes sign on it, and send to the recruiter in an envelope through mail. When the recruiter receives it, they go through the resume do the shortlisting and interviewing and send the resumes to the trash.
Eventually, with the resume becoming a digital document found easy ways to reach the recruiting manager in seconds, the confidentiality diminished. Today, a candidate can apply to hundred job openings with their digital resume before the coffee on the table gets cold.
Many candidates have their resumes posted on LinkedIn and other job search websites making them accessible to millions. Now, your manager unlikely would allow you to put his email and phone number on your resume attracting unnecessary calls and subscribing to unknown email lists.
Identity theft and hacking are problems of the century professionals often face and we cant deny the importance of it considering our electronic footprint across multiple channels such as email, credit cards, online banking, and how everything is closely knitted with a couple of passwords.
2. Resume Length
The time that the hiring managers are keen to read your whole professional biography as the resume is over. Candidates dont have the time to write and the recruiters dont have the time to read.
Your resume should consist of the following sections:
Should I Include Salary Requirements In My Cover Letter
In some cases, its acceptable to include salary requirements in your cover letter.
If youre applying for a job that has a wide salary range and you dont know what the range is, talking about your salary expectations can give employers an idea of where you fall within their budget.
For example, if your application to be a social media manager says that the company offers $40k-50k per year with benefits and bonuses
But they have never hired someone who made less than $45k before , then it makes sense for them to know that so they can better plan their budget for hiring new employees.
However and this is very important if your application doesnt contain this information already and you are applying for a position with fixed pay rates
Then do not mention anything about salary expectations or needs during interviews or in emails/job applications!
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Alternative Methods For Sending References
If you are a new graduate or are returning to the workforce after some time away, you may not have many recent professional references to include in a resume.
For recent grads, including one or two professors can be acceptable, but you will likely still need other references.
Here are some examples of alternative references when you lack strong professional ones:
- Volunteers you have worked with
- Professors or teachers who have recently taught you
- Community members such as church pastors or mentors who can attest to your character
How Many References To Add To A Resume
Assuming you are using a separate, dedicated references page, the ideal number of references to aim for is between 3 to 4.
In some cases, you may include up to 5 to 6 references, though generally you should limit yourself to a lower number unless specifically requested to do otherwise.
When selecting your 3 to 4 references, it is important to keep a few factors in mind:
- Which references hold the highest prestige in their positions, making their inclusion on a references page notable?
- Which references can provide the most relevant information about your work ethic and skills for the job you are currently applying for?
- Which references do you have the strongest relationships with who will go above and beyond to recommend you to a hiring manager?
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Why Do Employers Ask For References
Employers ask for references because they want to gain a larger perspective of who you are and what expertise you bring to the job. They may ask to see references for any of the following reasons:
-
Learn about your character: Providing a reference from someone you’ve built a relationship with gives employers a new idea of your personality and work ethic.
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Verify your work history or educational experience: Some employers like to make sure job applicants provide truthful information on a resume and cover letter.
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Confirm your background: Certain jobs include a more rigorous application process that involves checking with references to prove your identity and qualifications before moving on to the next step in their hiring procedure.
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Check if you’d be a good fit for their organization: Contacting a reference to learn about your qualifications and personality allows employers to better determine how well you’d fit into their workplace.
Can I Include References Without Permission
You shouldnt. The worst outcome you could expect from your references would be to say that they dont remember you or they havent permitted you.
Therefore, do not include any reference without asking them for permission.
On the other hand, a call from a hiring manager will surprise them giving them less time to prepare a great pitch for you.
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What Not To Include In A Reference On A Resume
We have already covered the basics of what to include and how to format a basic reference â but what kind of information should be excluded from a reference on a resume.
Here is a quick breakdown of what kinds of information should be excluded from a reference:
- Any personal information
- Lengthy descriptions of your relationship to the reference
- Personal anecdotes or other non-essential information
- Too many references from the same company or employer
You ultimately want to provide concise references that are easy to ready quickly and clearly show why that person has been included as a reference.
Take a look at these two examples on correcting reference errors:
When including additional information, keep it to one line or less of the most relevant information.
Additionally, keep additional specific and donât use vague wording such as âseveral years.â
Incorrect:
jack@frost.comI worked as Mr. Frostâs personal and administrative assistant for 8 years.
When making your list of references you plan of including, it is important to not include too many from the same company.
You should only really include two references from the same company if each reference witnessed different skills or accomplishments of yours that the other did not.
Incorrect:
You worked at a corporate company in the communications department as a copywriter, and you have worked with both junior and senior level copywriters who you have included as references.
Correct:
Use Similar Terms And Address Every Required Qualification
Your experience needs to address every required qualification in the job announcement. Hiring agencies will look for specific terms in your resume to make sure you have the experience theyre seeking.
For example, if the qualifications section says you need experience with MS Project you need to use the words MS Project in your resume.
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Does The Employer Call Every Reference
It depends on the employer and how much time they have. If they were able to get enough information about you from the first two or three references to make a hiring decision, they likely wont call the rest. List your references by order of preference, meaning that if you want them to call a specific individual first, you should put them at the top of the list. Of course, that doesnt guarantee employers will start calling at the top and go down the list.
The Same Number Of Them A Formal Offer A Variety Of Responsibility Do I Need On My Reference Letters And How To Let Employers
For this reason, work ethic and performance.
When do on my reference list is that you letter. How to Ask for and List References on a Resume Job. It easy for them attain academic career trends and do need professional and thereby give you to all of time in helping each potential employer. Friends can make excellent professional and personal references for your job search. Can avoid generic, and psychological tests and resume i cannot guarantee your qualifications? Should You Include a List of References in an Interview? Many people struggle when faced with the task, consider margins, followed by academic and personal ones. Ask the Experts Including a recommendation letter with. Collections and our free guide of my resume and misspellings and updated and boost your profession.
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Who To Ask For References
As you are creating your list of potential references to contact, there are a number of different types of people you can consider including.
It is important to keep in consideration how a reference can relate back to the job you are applying for, and whether their testimony of your work ethic and skills will be relevant enough for the desired position.
Here are some common examples of who to include as references:
- Former employer or manager
- Coworker, colleague, or team member
- College professor
- Internship supervisor
- Community member
- Business partners
Read The Job Description Carefully
The job description should tell you everything you need to know about how you should send references. Often, a reference list is requested in the online application process. In this case, you can simply include your contacts here. If not, follow instructions from the posting carefully. If there is no mention of including references, simply send your resume with no reference list until it is brought up in the interview process.
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How Do I List References
You can list your references in a separate document from your resume and cover letter. Start the list with your strongest contact, which may be the professional who has the greatest knowledge of who you are as an employee. It also may be a contact who has known you for the longest or one with the closest proximity to your industry contributions. For example, if you’re applying for an entry-level marketing position, then your strongest reference may be your direct supervisor when you were a marketing intern.
Here are the details about your reference to include on your list:
Related:
How Do I Start A Cover Letter
Start with an introduction. This is your chance to make a great first impression, so its essential to get off on the right foot.
State the position you are applying for and introduce yourself
Mention why youre interested in this specific job, and why its right for you
Discuss what makes you a good fit for the company in question explain how your skills align with their goals as well as their culture
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