Leaving Your Mark: "References available upon request"

I must admit that when I see “References available upon request” on someone’s resume, I cringe.  Of course they are available upon request.  What kind of job seeker/applicant will not supply references when asked to do so by a potential employer?  The answer is one that doesn’t want a job.  It is assumed and expected so let’s get this out of the way right now- take “References available upon request” off of your resume.  And don’t ever put it back on there.

But the notion of references in general is an important one.  I’ve claimed and will continue to claim that nearly all of the jobs that I have had in my life, including my current one, were obtained because of the references that were provided on my behalf.  My resume is fairly strong and my interviewing skills are slightly above average but ultimately what others had to say about me pushed my candidacy for jobs over the top.  As a Senior Recruiter at Turnkey Sports and Entertainment, we placed a great deal of emphasis on references, both those supplied by the candidate and those not supplied by the candidate.  If it was neck and neck race on all other factors, we went with the candidate who had stronger references.  Anyone can have a perfect resume and nail an interview, but references are a complicated, yet very critical factor.

I mentioned above that at Turnkey we contacted references that were “available upon request” from the candidate and those that we knew through our own personal and professional connections.  Let’s start with the former.  Your reference list should include a mix of bosses, co-workers, staff that you manage, and clients or customers.  You want to provide a potential employer with people who have interacted with you on different levels and might be aware of unique skills that you bring to the table.  Oftentimes, people only supply co-workers and to me, that is a yellow or red flag.  Additionally, the details that you should include are the person’s name, title, phone number, email, physical address, and their relationship to you. 

As for the latter…references not supplied by the candidate, this is a little bit more tricky.  However, the rule of thumb is this- keep in mind that in your professional life, anyone you interact with could be a reference for you…and you don’t even know about it.  With the job market the way it is and has been for the last few years, there are more candidates than ever for any one opening.  Recruiters and HR/Talent Acquisition people have to discern between the top candidates and the best evaluators will go beyond the references you supplied.  The rationale being that the people you provided will give rave reviews 9 times out of 10.  I’m not insinuating that you have to be on your “A game” all day every day; I’m simply recommending that you not burn any bridges, you maintain healthy relationships, and you leave a good impression whenever possible.