How to find referees

How do I find referees to put on my resume? Once they've agreed to be my referee, how do I manage the process so they don't regret the decision?

Find someone you trust and ask their permission to include them on your resume. You would then include their contact details in the resume or you could give your prospective employer their contact details at the interview. On your resume you may say 'Referees' details are available on request'. Some applicants don't like to give out their referees' details until they know they have been short-listed, especially if they are working and the referee is their boss.

Referees are a great source of valuable feedback about your skills and abilities. Find out from your referees what they see as your key strengths and areas for development. This will help you to tailor your resume and give you confidence about what sort of things they will say about you to your prospective employer. If you are worried that a referee will be negative, you don’t have to include them on your resume.

Use a multi-layered approach when listing referees. List people you have worked with or worked for first and then tutors, university lecturers, people in professional associations and good personal contacts last. Include a list of what their relationship is to you (ie Manager, Professional Contact, Coach, University Tutor or Lecturer).

Consider all referees as networking contacts. Ask permission to use their name and notify them in advance when they might receive a call from the employer. Send a copy of your resume to your referees as well as the job advertisement or documentation so they know what skills to highlight when they are called.

If you name has changed for any reason, make sure your referee knows your new name.

Construct your list of referees with your career objective in mind. Brief your referees on the specific skills and/or projects that you want them to highlight to the employer.

Ask your referees to call you once they have spoken to your prospective employer, as this is a great source of valuable feedback.

Now test your knowledge in the Unit 1 quiz.