Should I List Referees On My Resume?

This is a question I answer clients daily when providing Resume Writing Services.

My answer: YES and NO!

Let’s start with when you SHOULD list Referees.

YES, LIST THEM

Carefully read through the job advert you are interested in. If it requests that you need to provide Referees – follow that instruction and include your Referees on your Resume.

This shows you can follow simple instructions and is a good start with any job application.

You should list your Referees Name, Position Title (when you reported to them), Company (they worked for when you reported to them) and Contact Number (preferably mobile).

Ensure you have permission from the Referee that you can include them on your Resume and check that their contact details are up to date. You do not want to miss out on a job due to the fact that someone can’t contact your Referee. I have seen this happen many times before so beware!

NO, DO NOT LIST THEM

If a position description/job advertisement does not request Referees, don’t list them. There are some solid reasons as to why.

– Referees take up valuable “Resume Real Estate” where you could be selling your skills, listing your achievements and really focusing on why you are the perfect candidate for the job.

– You have more control over the Referee Checking stage. You can pick and choose what Referees you would like to provide at that time. Before you even provide the Referee’s details, you can call them and tell them to expect a call from the hiring company. This means they will be better prepared when the call comes through which will lead to a better Referee check for you!

– A Recruiter / HR Person won’t jump off their seat to take you to interview based on a few random names on your Resume. Better to focus on career achievements for that!

– It gives you an insight as to how you are progressing through the recruitment cycle. If you get a call requesting Referees, this is generally a good sign and means you have made it to the final stages before you get offered an employment contract.

– It protects your Referees contact information. A lot of Recruiters use this information as a shopping list for business leads.

Hope this helps and good luck to all Job Seekers out there and feel free to contact me if you require Resume Writing Services.

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