Are referees important on your professional resume? Absolutely. The majority of employers will ask for referees, this is a very common and often mandatory requirement. Many people struggle to select the right referee or get this process right. How important is it? Here are a few comments from recent clients that reinforce this:
– Referees not contactable: missed out on position
– Poor referee report: missed out on position
– Unable to comment on work duties: missed out on position
– The common thread here is very clear. Referee checks are usually the final process when selecting a candidate. If you fail to provide a referee that is available and can verify your work performance then your professional resume is not that professional.
Here are some tips for selecting and using referees to your advantage in your professional resume:
– Always, always select people that have direct, first hand experience in observing your work
– Check with a referee first, it is polite and lets them prepare
– If you are suspicious someone will provide a bad report do not use them
– Provide the most relevant contact details
– If they will be away or unavailable at any time don’t use them
– Select your current or most recent supervisor if possible, this demonstrates a good relationship
– Use their name and not a nickname
– Structure your referees like this:
John Smith
Service Manager
A Retail Shop
Phone: 0412 345 678
In a professional resume referees are often overlooked yet can have a massive impact. If you don’t have this aspect correct you might miss out.
Best of luck in your job application.
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