4 Useful Tips For C.V. References
The Perfect References
The backbone to any good CV is a strong reference list - your references are there to prove that you are as good as you’re claiming to be on your CV. If you don’t do it properly you can really come unstuck with your references and that could totally sabotage the rest of the CV.
If you don’t want all the hard work you put into your CV to go to waste then make sure you follow our advice when sorting out your references - after all your references can either make you or break you.
Surprise
Make sure that your references aren’t surprised with a phone call from your potential employer - you don’t want your potential employer to ambush someone expecting to find out more about you and all they end up talking about is how they can’t believe they are your referral.
Before even thinking about handing in a CV with a reference list make sure you tell the referrals that they might be receiving a phone call and tell them what the job is about. You should also give them a copy of your CV to look over so they can be sure that they can be familiar with your working past and hopefully be enthusiastic.
A Hard Choice
You should think about using different references for different job applications - references work in a similar way to a covering letter. You shouldn’t hand out the same covering letter for bar work and copywriting work. The same applies for your references.
Think about each reference carefully and choose the personal based on their qualities and characters in relation to the position. You aren’t going to want someone who can’t explain themselves properly or who is no good over the phone.
You should be careful about your social networking status when applying for a job - although it might not be the first thing you think about, a potential employer might take a step further than normal and seek you out online to see what kind of a person you are.
Employees have been known to be fired on the spot for their social networking activities and so it’s not hard to believe that a potential employee will skip past you if they don’t like the way you act online.
Be Clear
You don’t want your potential employer to have to scour through the Yellow Pages or the Internet looking for contact details for your references - they probably won’t bother and you won’t get the job.
Make sure all contact details are clear and correct - provide the name, telephone number and email address. You could even note down the best time for contact, either the day or the evening or only after 6pm for example. Show that you are willing to provide as much information as possible.
Getting Your References Right?
Are you struggling to get your references right? Do you put much effort into your reference list? Let us know…
