The Dos and Don'ts of Listing References on a CV

When putting together a CV, references are usually the last part that comes after every other important entry. These contacts are people a prospective employer can reach out to enquire about your previous job performances, your work experience, and what kind of colleague or employee you are in the workplace. But what a lot of people don't know is that while you may have a well-crafted CV down, if you don’t know how to list your references properly, you might just find yourself waiting for that call that may never come.

To give you a better chance of securing your dream job, I have compiled a list of the best practices sorted for by employers and used by professionals to guarantee your references are well-listed. This will, in turn, ensure that badly listed references don’t cost you a prospective job.

How should you list your references on your CV?

You may be wondering the best way or position on your CV to list your references, and the answer to that is, no way, there is no way to do so, and here is why.

Ideally, when putting together your CV, whether it’s for an entry-level job or a post in management, your CV shouldn’t be more than a single page or at most two pages. This is because hiring managers have to go through dozens and sometimes hundreds of applications which means they don’t have the luxury of time to spend flipping through multiple pages of a particular CV. This means every line and space on your CV is important and really shouldn’t be wasted on listing numerous references.

Hiring managers do not have the time or ability to contact every reference on every application. Hence when they do need to contact your references, you’ve probably reached the last stages of the employment process. With that being said, you should utilize every space on your CV detailing your skills, qualifications, and achievements to sell yourself better. These skills and qualifications will put you in a position to be considered for the job.

Chances are, you are now thinking about adding “References available upon request” on your CV. Don’t do this either.

There is no reason to state anything regarding your references on your CV because it is assumed that you’ll provide the information when requested, just like it is assumed you’ll be available for an interview even without stating “Available for interview upon request” on your CV.

So, when do you submit your references?

Some employers may explicitly state on their job posting that you need to submit a list of references alongside your CV, and this should be the only time when you add references to your CV. Other employers may wait till after an initial interview or subsequent interviews before they request a reference list. In this case, you can be assured that you have made it close to the final stages of the hiring process because this commonly means the hiring manager is impressed with your CV and would like to know how you performed in your previous jobs. This also gives you a heads up and presents you with the opportunity to fill your pre-selected list of references on what to expect from your prospective employer. This information would, in turn, enable them to properly appraise talents and hard work.

Keep an updated reference list handy to be submitted upon request by a potential employer

Despite the fact that your references should not be included in your CV, it is still very important. Always keep an updated list of references on hand to be submitted upon request and be sure to notify these references of your job hunting endeavors because the last thing you want is for your references to be taken off guard.

If and when a company’s hiring manager is satisfied and impressed with the combination of qualifications and skills on your CV, they may need a reference list to verify those skills, and having a list of references ready could be what gets you that job.

Who should be on your reference list?

While you might want to have as many people as possible speak gloriously about you to your prospective employers, it is best to have at least three or at most five references ready. Some companies can be particular about the mix or kind of references they want from a prospective employee, but notwithstanding, some basic boxes should be checked when picking the right references.

• Former managers should always be on your list of references. This is because they can attest to your work performance as well as your relationship with colleagues and your drive to get the job done. This reference can also include present managers if they are aware and in support of your job search.
• Former or current colleagues should also make your list as they can speak attest to your attitude towards teamwork and leadership skills amongst fellow employees.
• If you’ve never had any tangible work experience with managers or colleagues who can speak of your work ethic, you can add any professor or lecturer you worked closely with who can give sufficient information about your capabilities.
• If the job you are applying for involves interaction with clients and customers, you might want to add a previous client from your former job who can attest to your diligence as a staff.

Note: You can always keep a separate list of references for more under-the-radar job searches which you don’t want your current employer or colleagues to know about.

Who shouldn’t be on your reference list?

There are two categories of people who you should avoid adding to your reference list because they could taint your credibility as potential staff.

• Family members should have no place in your reference list regardless of their knowledge of your skills and qualifications. Family members are seen as biased when speaking as references and their words carry little weight with prospective employers.
• Avoid former colleagues or managers with whom you’ve had a professional or personal conflict, even if you’ve supposedly reconciled. It only takes one aggrieved reference to ruin your chances of getting that job.

What type of information should your reference list carry?

Your references list should be concise and only carry needed contact information about the individuals, thus including Name, Job position, Company, mobile number, and email address. There should also be a reference description where you explain how long you worked together and, most importantly, your relationship with them.

You should also note that there is absolutely no need to include your reference’s home address or personal phone number as no employer would be mailing them anything. You could also include “Preferred Contact.”

How to properly arrange your reference list

Once you’ve gotten your definitive list of reference candidates and have informed them of what to expect if they are contacted by a potential employer, it is time to arrange them in a presentable manner that will not faze your employer. Here are some key things you should do before submitting a reference list.

• Compile everything into a single sheet, including all the vital information about your references. You can have it printed in hard copy, ready to be sent to the hiring manager.
• You must also have a soft copy of the reference list either as a word document or PDF file, which can be sent as a standalone or attached to an email sent to the hiring manager.
• You should also include your name, email, and phone number at the top of the reference sheet to make it easily identifiable by the hiring manager.
• Be sure to use the same font style, size, and color on the reference page as you did on your cover letter and CV. Be sure to use the same formats down to even the margins making it look as professional as possible. This is to ensure that the reference page could easily be attached to your CV file and not look out of place due to differences in formats.

Follow these rules in setting up your reference page, and you should be good to go no matter the organization you apply to. And because most companies today don’t provide references for former employees as a way to avoid potential lawsuits, more and more companies are