POLL: Should you include references on your CV?

burly

Should you do A, B or C?

A. Give names and contact details of referees at bottom of CV.
B. Include written references with your CV and application.
C. Dont mention references unless your asked for them.

Pinewoo

Available on request, is the best.

king size mars bar

Pinewoo wrote: »

Available on request, is the best.

i always went by this till i did a CV workshop the other day and the instructor said that a CV should have at least 2 on it with contact details!

burly

king size mars bar wrote: »

i always went by this till i did a CV workshop the other day and the instructor said that a CV should have at least 2 on it with contact details!

This is the reason I started this poll, so many different opinions out there!

The Big Red Button

Poll is flawed.

Personally, I would go with "References available upon request."

The option - "Don't mention references until asked for" - if I were a potential employer, if someone had work experience but didn't mention references - I'd be quite suspicious!

ABajaninCork

I always put 'References on Request' on my CV's too. As I have to give written permission for one of my references, I'm not giving them out willy nilly.

I don't put my full address or my landline number on my CV's either, although I give my location on my cover letters. Nobody needs to know until it's time.

Gongoozler

My boss told me today that you should definitely include references - contact details that is. Said it looks too suspicious to have left them out.

Larianne

king size mars bar wrote: »

i always went by this till i did a CV workshop the other day and the instructor said that a CV should have at least 2 on it with contact details!

Gongoozler wrote: »

My boss told me today that you should definitely include references - contact details that is. Said it looks too suspicious to have left them out.

I went to a CV clinic in college two weeks ago and they said you don't have to include the references as it takes up space and they have to ask you for permission to contact them anyway. And that References available on request is fine. She said the only time you would put down references is if you know the references will impress them.

Also if you put down the reference, and the potential employer knows the person but doesn't like them, that could be shooting yourself in the foot!

thomur

I interview lots of people for the company I work for and I have to see references. You have to talk to someone the applicant has worked for before. You never know what someone is like until you hear from a previous employer.

seamus

It's fine to put down references if you don't have a job or if you're not going to rely on your current employer for a reference.

Put your current employer down and some idiot will ring your references before they've made you a formal offer.

No references without a contract on the table. Any employer I've worked for has been happy with that.

Eoin

thomur wrote: »

I interview lots of people for the company I work for and I have to see references. You have to talk to someone the applicant has worked for before. You never know what someone is like until you hear from a previous employer.

If you've offered someone a job pending the references, then that's fine - otherwise it's not for you to be doing reference checks. I've also interviewed a good few people and would not expect to see references on a CV.

Some reasons not to list them:

• You want them to be expecting the call and be prepared for it.
• You may want a referee to talk you up in specific skills/experience, depending on the job you've applied for
• You don't want them rung by people you may not even have talked to
• Your referee might be your current boss!

folan

there are pros and cons, but when i was younger i once put down references. 2 days after my second round interview for a job, I got a call from the recruiter saying that they couldn't contact my reference. turns out he was on holidays.

since then i always just put down "references available on request". if they like me after 2 interviews, they can ask. If they dont, they wont.

if they want to know who ive worked for in the past, its all on my cv anyway.

How Strange

Always 'references on request'. The last thing you want is some over enthusiastic HR person ringing your employer for a reference without you knowing.

Achtung Maybe

I used to own a well-know recruitment agency in Dublin and can say without question that feedback from clients is that the best option is the one already mentioned, something along the lines "References can be furnished upon request".

Adding referee names,jobtitles, companies and contact details only adds to unnecessary space taken-up on a CV...

omahaid

I normally just put "references on request" but the software industry in Ireland is so small normally companies can find out about you anyway

JoePie

I used to put "references on request." It's what they told us to do in college and that. The whole idea was that if they got onto you looking for referees, then they're at least considering you to some extent. However I was talking to a friend a a while back who is resposnsible for hiring, and he told me that given the volume of CV's he receives for jobs (software industry), if there are no references, he generaly won't bother calling them for an interview, as there's too much back and forth with just one person, slowing the whole process down.

Having said that, I got a new job today, and I made a joke to my current boss about how he must have given me a glowing reference, and he says he was never contacted.

There's no real science or "one right way" to do this.

face1990

JoePie wrote: »

There's no real science or "one right way" to do this.

Absolutely, I put very little credence in what CV clinics tell you because the advice varies so much. Some swear by including references, others don't. Some tell you not to go over 2 pages, others say to include every bit of information.

Personally I'd never include references. I don't want them contacting my references without me knowing (and some of my referees would be rightly pissed off if I was handing out their contact details to everyone).

My current CV doesn't even have 'References available on request' on it. I kind of assumed it was a given, or that they'll ask if they want them. Am I naive to think that?

Eoin

JoePie wrote: »

. However I was talking to a friend a a while back who is resposnsible for hiring, and he told me that given the volume of CV's he receives for jobs (software industry), if there are no references, he generaly won't bother calling them for an interview, as there's too much back and forth with just one person, slowing the whole process down.

That doesn't really make sense though, as that order of events is the wrong way around. There are a lot of IT CVs, but there are a ton of other factors that will filter them down before you even get near the references.

I think your friend is using a very short-sighted way of narrowing down the candidates.

Nody

As several other noted you'll never see my references on my CV. Few very simple reasons:

1) If you're not going to offer me a job I don't want you to contact them for any reason (and with the notice period I got it should be a non issue)
2) If I'm not interested in the role why would I offer you potential contacts of my network?
3) Recruitment agencies; I don't have a big axe with them but no way I'd give them my contacts from the start
4) Existing position; I'm usually applying from an existing role and I don't want it to get out that I'm looking around until I've secured my new position

April O Neill

I include mine on my CV in my current job search. But my boss knows I want to move on (want to relocate to another part of Ireland), so I'm in a more privileged position than most, I guess. As I accumulate experience, and need more space to describe this on my CV, I'll probably go with 'references on request', just to free up some room.

okiss

I would always put I would always put 'references on request' for the following reasons:
a) I don't want someone ringing my referees unless I am being considered/offered a job.
b) I would like to contact my referees to see if they are still working in the same place as people move on.
c) I can tell my referees about the job and who will be ringing them for a reference so they are prepared.
d) I can use a few different referees depending on the job I am applying for.

Tar.Aldarion

I would never include them, I say available upon request. Way to piss off your referees by letting any tom, dick or harry contact them without them being informed. Before you even do an interview in some cases.

the world wonders

JoePie wrote: »

However I was talking to a friend a a while back who is resposnsible for hiring, and he told me that given the volume of CV's he receives for jobs (software industry), if there are no references, he generaly won't bother calling them for an interview, as there's too much back and forth with just one person, slowing the whole process down.

Your friend is lazy and incompetent.

Gongoozler

But surely you've already asked your previous employers can you use them as a reference have you not?

ABajaninCork

As an aside, I just wanted to know:

I've got a couple of job interviews in the coming week. I had already scheduled one, and the recruiter called wanting to schedule another on the same day. It would've left me short of time so I asked to move it. I was then asked who the other interview was for, which I politely declined to tell her.

What would you guys do in my position?

April O Neill

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

IWay to piss off your referees by letting any tom, dick or harry contact them without them being informed. Before you even do an interview in some cases.

You shouldn't forward people as referees without getting their permission first.

Eoin

April O Neill wrote: »

You shouldn't forward people as referees without getting their permission first.

I think Tar means that they should know when they're going to be contacted and by whom - not get called out of the blue.

Mr. G

Personnally I would say "available of request". I would prefer to ask my referees before an employer would go ringing around.

If an employer is serious about the position they wouldn't just cut down the list by the ones with no referees included.

Zeek12

ABajaninCork wrote: »

As an aside, I just wanted to know:

I've got a couple of job interviews in the coming week. I had already scheduled one, and the recruiter called wanting to schedule another on the same day. It would've left me short of time so I asked to move it. I was then asked who the other interview was for, which I politely declined to tell her.

What would you guys do in my position?

Personally, if it was possible at all, I would just do them both on the dates and times already scheduled. Unless they are geographically too far apart to make that possible, or the times are actually overlapping. I don't know what sector your're looking at, but interviews can be hard to get these days and you don't want to give them reasons to push your name down the list.

Presumably they are similar-ish roles? Or at least roles that will draw on similar skills and competencies from your previous jobs or education? In which case you will already have your homework mostly done for both positions anyway.
And it could go to your advantage; if interview 1 goes well, you'll be buzzing and will walk into interview 2 with plenty of confidence and won't be overly nervous. Best of luck with it.

Zeek12

Mr. G wrote: »

Personnally I would say "available of request". I would prefer to ask my referees before an employer would go ringing around.

If an employer is serious about the position they wouldn't just cut down the list by the ones with no referees included.

Exactly.
Any employer foolish enough to recruit solely on the basis of the CVs that provided references could well be back recruiting again very soon!
There's nothing wrong with stating "Available on request" imo. It effectively tells the employer you have reliable referees ready and willing to be contacted - at the appropriate time.
Why would an employer want to contact referees before even meeting and interviewing the individual first? That makes no sense to me.
Personally speaking I know my referees would get fed up pretty quickly (and I'd be looking for new ones!) if they were contacted before I even interviewed for all the jobs I've applied for.
And besides, its difficult enough to limit a CV to two pages. Almost impossible I would think if you're including names and contact details of 2-3 people!

Dave!

No way. "Available on request" is standard.

Usually not in my initial application, but at some point (if I feel I need the help!) I might send in a couple of written references.

pow wow

I always put 'available on request' after an agency in I registered with in London rang my current employer saying they knew they would have an opening soon and would they like to avail of their services. Recently though I interviewed for a job in Dublin and they asked for my references during interview as I was the only applicant who hadn't put them on my CV. I still don't put them on though, my employer doesn't need to know I'm looking until I've found something.

JoePie

Eoin wrote: »

That doesn't really make sense though, as that order of events is the wrong way around. There are a lot of IT CVs, but there are a ton of other factors that will filter them down before you even get near the references.

I think your friend is using a very short-sighted way of narrowing down the candidates.

the world wonders wrote: »

Your friend is lazy and incompetent.

I never said he was right or good at his job. But he's the only one I know in a position to screen candidates, so I'd like to think I could put some weight behind his words. Each to their own anyway.