Importance of References in your resume

Is it necessary to include References in your Resume?? The answer is “no” however it is definitely recommended that everyone have a prepared reference letter to give potential employers after they have met with them. The reason why you don’t want to include your references with every resume sent is because you only want employers to call references after they have had a chance to meet with you and you have decided that you are interested in their position.

But, what is so important about a reference page? A reference page makes you look more professional, organized and serious about your job search. It ultimately helps you present yourself in the best possible light and demonstrates that you are a candidate that should be taken seriously. Not sure if we are telling the truth? Well, imagine this scenario:

After many months of searching, you finally find the perfect job. You intelligently hire a professional resume writer to assist you with the preparation of your resume/cover letter and they prepare documents that will effectively market your skills and help you get your foot in the door. You then proudly send out your package and you get an immediate response. Your dream employer wants to interview you IMMEDIATELY. You then brush up on your interviewing skills and then attend the interview. All goes well and you really believe you are well suited for the position. You successfully demonstrate your unique abilities and potential to handle the position with ease and impress the employer who then asks, “Do you have any references?” You say, “Of course. But they are not in printed form. However, if you give me a minute, I can write them down for you on a piece of paper or better yet, I can give you five business cards and write notes on them for your reference.” Now imagine the look on their faces and your embarrassment.

Now, wouldn’t it have been much, much, much easier to simply have a professionally drafted reference page in hand to give them, if asked? All you needed was a professionally prepared list of three to five business references of people willing to attest to your work habits and qualifications. You could have then included a coworker, supervisor, or even a professor for your business references and for your personal references you could have included a minister, neighbor, or close friend.

But, you might be wondering, “How do I compose this list?” Well, in order to compose your reference list, you should list the most important reference first and then include their name, title, all contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, etc.), type of reference (personal or professional, and a brief summary of how long they have known you and in what capacity.

By including all of this information, you will definitely make your reference list a powerful marketing tool and demonstrate your professionalism and commitment to success!