A referral page is a separate listing of individuals who are qualified and agree to be contacted by a recruiter or supervisor in support of your candidacy for employment or promotion. Do not include references on or with your resume unless asked to do so.
Candidates for nursing and teaching jobs are often required to include references along with the resume, cover letter, and application form in a mailing package. Otherwise, don’t assume that a recruiter will need or be willing to vet and contact your references until you learn that he or she has been selected as a serious candidate for a position. You will then be prompted to provide them.
Whenever possible, meet in person with a potential reference and cordially ask if they would be willing to serve as a reference in your job search. Avoid family members, close friends, clergy, and illiterate people, as you may lose credibility as a strong candidate. Three to five references from current and former employers and other competently qualified and literate individuals are sufficient and will generally represent an acceptable pool from which employers will draw information to “build” their competencies for the position.
Keep a few extra reference pages and resumes with you at interviews, as you may be asked to submit one or more at the end of an interview. Always let your references know when you land a new position and thank them for their help. This courteous gesture will not only reassure them that they have been helpful in your hiring, but it will also establish your necessary bond with them in case you need to call them again for help with future job searches or seeking internal promotions.
Always choose people who are likely to enhance your candidacy with a thorough understanding of your job qualifications, personal integrity, and proven work-related strengths. Since you will be asked to provide references from recent employers or supervisors, please keep this information handy and up-to-date.
Send your resume and additional biographical and job-related information to your reference persons to strengthen your candidacy in their minds and give them a clearer picture of you and your qualifications to forward to an interested potential employer. Such additional and useful information may not be apparent from your current credentials, and recent achievements may remain unknown to those who participate as your references. Well-chosen supporters can boost your career opportunities, while hastily selected referrals can seriously inhibit, stall, or damage your job search.
Experienced workers will be asked to provide references from supervisors, vice presidents, directors, managers, and others who have evaluated and observed their special accomplishments and daily project assignments. Recent college graduates may include professors, administrators, staff members, internship supervisors, and part-time employers. In addition, a personality and character benchmark may be important to an employee if the workplace culture and environment demands specific individual traits from a new employee in order to fit in and succeed effectively.
Its information and style may vary according to the requests and/or limitations of the designated references. Triple space between entries to properly separate references for clarity. Carefully check spelling, addresses, and contact information for accuracy before submitting your referral page to recruiters. Mistakes here will be frustrating for the inquisitive examiner, embarrassing for you, and possibly excluding you as a suitable candidate.