References for Resume: How to Look for the Right People

References for your resume can boost your credibility for the job you're applying for. Your resume reference can give you a glowing push to help recruiters offer you the job. But it depends on whom you ask to be referenced for your resume.

This article will guide you on the benefits of references for your resume and who are the right people to be resume references for you.

Why Include References in Your Resume?

While it's common for recruiters to ask for your references after the interview, some will need you to add references to your resume before they get to know you.

So, what does a resume reference do? The most important job of the references for your resume is to vouch for you and your personality so recruiters can know you better. Recruiters turn to job references for your resume to help them decide whether you're worth hiring.

If you have a one-page resume, it's best practice to include your references for your resume on a separate sheet to avoid cluttering the document.

Not everyone you know can be a resume reference, which is why you should know who are the right ones to call.

Who Are the Right People for Your Resume References?

The right resume reference can easily convince employers you're worth hiring. The right person is someone you've worked and gotten along with; friends and relatives don't count. Moreover, the best people you can ask to be references for your resume are articulate ones who know how you work and respect you.

Here are a few people you can consider calling if you aren't sure where to start:

1. Past bosses

   A past boss is the ideal resume reference since they can let recruiters know what you're like as an employee. They can talk about your work ethic, quality of outputs, and behavior in the workplace.

2. Co-workers

   Co-workers as a resume reference can help hiring managers to learn more about how well you might get along with the other employees. Consider people who know your relevant skills to the job you're applying for when choosing which past co-worker to call.

   If you aren't sure how to describe your jobs on your resume, past co-workers as references for your resume can help explain it to recruiters.

3. Teachers

   Most teachers are keen on being a resume reference. The best teachers you can ask to be references for your resume are the ones you got along with and know personally.

4. Customers

   You can ask your favorite customers from your past job to be references for your resume since they give recruiters an idea of what you're like with clients. A past client as a resume reference can vouch for the quality of your work, which is helpful if the job you're applying for has similar tasks.

5. Professional connections

   The ideal connections to be references for your resume are those who are respected in their work. These are people who you've known and who helped you grow your job network. A word from them makes you more credible as a candidate to recruiters.

   If you can, add at least one of each per relevant job experience, but be sure to make a reference call first. A recruiter catching a resume reference off-guard with a call about you can affect your chances for the job.

Look for the Right Job at Career

Since you decide who recruiters can call to learn more about you, you have the upper hand. Choose people whom you trust will advocate for you in your job search. Once you have your references for your resume, visit Career.com to start looking for the right job for you.