References on Your Resume

References! That is exactly what we are discussing in this article. This is a very important topic, especially for anyone who is trying to find out what to include on his or her resume. There is a lot of confusion out there as to the formatting of a resume, what content to include, how to design it etc. With all of that being said, there is also some discussion as to whether references are something that should be included on a resume. So, should you actually include references on your resume? Lets find out.

Now I see it time and time and time and again guys. People have this section on their resume

dedicated to references. So it will say "References available upon request" or "References furnished upon request "or it just says "References”. You currently may have this section on your resume. If you do, I’m going to give you the biggest tip that you need to know in regards to this section. Please take it off now!!

Why should I not use a reference section?

I know, you are probably asking “why should I not include this section on a resume, I see it all

the time on plenty of resume examples”. Look, let me tell you what References available upon request means. Let me tell you what that means on the resume. If I was just an employer reading your resume and I see a section that says “references available upon request”, that means you’re telling me that you will give me your references if I request them. I know you may see it as a common courtesy but as an employer, you don’t have to tell me that you will give me your references if I request them. Every employer will want references before hiring you. Why would you want to take up valuable space on your resume, only to include a section that is telling the employer something like this.

It is also very important to note that the resume is a very, very limited document. And the last

thing you want to do is have a section that just tells the employer that you will give them your

references if they request them. It makes absolutely no sense. Do not take up this valuable

space on your resume

What to do instead:

But here's what you should do instead. You should have your references - if you wish to - on a separate document. And when I do so, I list roughly 3 to 5 references. And I have all of the basic information. The name, the company they work for, their position. The company's address, email address and phone number. If I am invited to an interview, I would bring this information along with me and if needed, I will leave all of that information with the employer.

Another reason I don't send references, is because this can be a great way to gauge where I am in the hiring process. I know a lot of you guys, you know - you go on job interviews and stuff like that you don't hear anything back, you don't know where they are in the hiring process.

You are emailing them, calling them - and the are not responding to you. Not sending the

references can be actually a good thing, and it is something that I personally use.

So I have my job interview or what not and then a week later, I get an email saying could you provide us with some references? Now this lets me know that they are considering

me, and that I am moving along in the hiring process. So I strategically not include references

on my resume but it's just a personal thing for me.

Lets be clear:

There are circumstances in which job applications will request references personally. If you are in a position in which an application requests references, then by all means, you should include them but I prefer to put them on a separate document on their own. A separate document is always my preferred way to go.

Now, if you wish to include references in your resume, in certain industries, it is common for

applicants to include testimonials of some sort from past clients or employers in their resume.

This is not standard, but if you choose to put testimonials in your resume, be sure to include a

name and contact information for verification. For higher-level positions, you may find that

they will ask for those references up front especially when the reference is someone well-known at the company or in the industry:

If the reference is coming from an industry expert or someone within the company you are applying to, it is otherwise not inappropriate to include the reference, you can list their name as a reference. With that being said, if you just have some Fortune 500 CEO that you want them to know that this person is endorsing you, then just include it on a separate document. You should even find a clever way to incorporate that into your cover letter. There are ways to include your references. But the resume, as I mentioned, is a limited document - and should only contain relevant information, that's pertinent to the completion of the job that you're applying for.

At the end of the day, references are a good way for others to vouch for your credibility,

competency, and professionalism. It is a fact that hiring managers want to hear how you work

with other people and if you're recommended for the job and they want to know if you are the

real deal. Hopefully, I have clarified whether references should be included on resumes. (The answer is generally NO)