A brief discussion on Resume reference page with some example
Reference page for resume is a page used by employees to get to know a potential employee better. Employers are interested in the character and also habits of a potential employee. The reference page serves this purpose. There have been debates on the appropriateness of attracting your reference list on your resume but no clear winner has emerged. One thing for sure is that your reference list should not be on you resume page. It should have a separate page, this is to give you resume enough space and also design you reference page appropriately with enough space. For companies or potential employers who you trust to keep your reference list secret it is always advisable to include it but for companies/employees you don’t fully trust, you should carry your reference list during the interview. This poses another debate of whether the employee has the time to invite you to the interview or call you in Oder for him/her to have your references.
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There are basically two types of references: professional and personal. It is always recommended to have three or four professional reference and probably two or one personal reference. Professional reference includes those people who you have worked with professionally. This can include: former supervisor, human resources manager, team leader or a co-worker. Personal references are people who know you outside work and are not your family member. They include: nonprofit leaders, ministers, school counselor, instructor or any respected person in your life.
The following are some of the critical tips you should consider before writing your resume reference page;
- Include a maximum of 6 and a minimum of 3 references. Most of these should be from a professional level.
- Ask for permission from your potential references before including them in your reference page.
- Organize your reference in a manner that the strongest are the first ones in the list. Ensure you follow this criteria to the last reference.
- Though this is not compulsory but it is best if you give your references a copy of your resume. This will familiarize them with you education, experience and qualification. By reviewing your resume they will remember some of your life’s details. This helps them to be prepared to answer any question if they are contacted by the hiring manager or your potential employer
- If, you don’t want to give your references a copy of your resume, make sure you periodically update them with your career progress.
- Before including someone as a reference ensure that they will give you a positive recommendation.
- Ensure you have recent contact information of your reference and their career status. They might have changed.
- Demonstrate versatility when creating your reference. Try not to include a certain position of profession only e.g. supervisor or even co-worker. Choose different people.
- If the reference has special titles e.g. (DR) make sure you include them.
After making sure you have a reference list which is up to date with what you are doing, the following is how you design your resume reference page;
Start your reference page with a heading
The heading is basically your name and word to give the page the appropriate title. E.g. reference list for John James. It should be clear with a bold font. Using a smaller font beneath the title, you should include your details. These are address, phone number and email address.
List the references and their relevant information
Begin this section by listing the names of your references. This should be in bold. Just a line below their names, write their relationship to you and the company you both worked at. Beneath that include the address information for the company where you both worked though you have to make sure they still work there otherwise leave the work address .Below that, list the contact option you reference has agreed you to use. This is personal contact information for your references.
Format any additional reference in a similar manner.
For those with experience in multiple fields, you should break your references list into several subsection.one for each field. This makes it easier for the employer to read.
It is quite important for job seeker who have no initial experience or those who don’t know how to write a resume reference page to have a look at a resume reference page example this will give the a clear picture, of what is expected.
Resume reference page for John James
John James
678 Sunrise Circle
Fair view, CA 2364
555-454-3235
johnjames@myemail.com
References
David Antony
Supervisor, Energy Corporation
444 Sunny Way
Sunset, CA 2374
555-455-6749
davidantony@emailadress.com
John was my supervisor when I worked at EnergyCorporation (this is most recent place of employment).
Rachel Mitchelle
Managing Director, Design Enterprises
111 Simon Street
Sunny City, CA 2356
555-555-9984
Ms. Webb is the managing director of Design Enterprises, where I worked for five years.
Professor Danielle Williams, Ph.D.
Arts Department, Unx University
545 Commerce Way
College Town, CA 1657
444-555-3808 (7:30-5:00)
williamsds@doeu.edu
Professor Williams was one of my professors while I attended Unx University.
Lynn Ann
Director, XRT City Chapter of the United Way
333 Johnson Boulevard
XRT City, CA 77889
321-555-4322
lynn_ann@myemail.com
From the above example, all the reference names are in bold. This makes them stand out. This makes it easier for the employer to find when he/she get on the phone with a specific reference. At time it becomes essential to indicate when a particular reference is available for a phone call. Like the case of Professor Danielle who has specific period which is convenient for a phone call. Most references are contact via telephone, though giving email address is recommended just in case emailing is preferred. A brief statement has been included after each reference, this makes it easier for you employee to understand your relationship with each reference.
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2) Youtube video “How to List References” by Howcast :
