A list of references on your resume is arguably, the most important feature of the job search process, after your resume and cover letter, with the exception of the interview. References validate your character attributes and professional skill set. In order to give a clear picture of you as a person and a professional, you should list three personal and three professional contacts. Usually, in a curriculum vitae references are embedded at the end of the last page because they are considered an inclusion, but in a resume they are listed on a separate page which is submitted separately during a final interview. Format-wise, vertically you need to list the person’s name, title, company or affiliation, postal address or email address, mobile or other phone number, nature and length of relationship.
The individuals you list as references are people who can attest to your abilities objectively. Therefore, the personal contacts should not be friends or relatives who are biased. They should be those who know you outside your place of employment. For example, the family doctor, religious leader, community leader, etc. The professional contacts should not be your immediate supervisor or anyone with hiring or firing authority over you. Those people will be listed on an application. Instead, they would be colleagues or associates who know you in a professional capacity such as a manager from another department, or a vendor with whom you do business for the firm, etc.
Personal reference verses professional reference
In either case, you need to select your references carefully and before including them as part of your CV or resume you need to check with the individual and ask their permission to be listed. At that time, you will want to explain why you are asking to list them and make sure that they will speak favorably about you. For the professionals you select, you can subtly coach them about the job you are pursuing and ensure that their response when asked will be in line with the position you are seeking.
It is important here to make the distinction between the references included in your CV or resume and those listed on your application. On the application the people you are listing are people who were your immediate supervisor, or other management staff who had direct influence over your employment and frequently evaluated your performance and noted your achievements. The reasons for the distinction is that when the recruiter does a background check, they will have three different perspectives about you: personal reference, professional reference and supervisors’ opinions. By the way, most recruiters will not check with your current supervisor out of consideration because once your employer is alerted that you are seeking another position, unless it is an internal promotion, it could cost you your job.
Just as with references, do your homework
Contact your former supervisor to make sure they are still with your previous company, and they agree with your interpretation of the duties you were responsible for at that company. If they are no longer with the company, you will want to find out who is the human resource person who would be commenting on your performance when you were employed there. You do not want to put anything in your application that will backfire on you.
Ideally, professional references on the resume should also be relevant to the position for which you are applying. If you are applying for a job in the sales department of a clothing store, it would be a good idea to list someone who knew you when you worked in retail and can comment on your abilities and accomplishments in sales. This will show that you can do the work that needs to be done. When asked, the contacts on your application should also clearly confirm what skills or qualifications you acquired during your previous jobs.