5 People to Include as Referees on Your CV to Land That Job!

Is it important to have a referee section on a resume? If yes, how many referees should I include and who should I choose as a referee? These were the questions that I received from Lucy, an accounting professional. In her CV, she had four referees, two were her friends, one was a relative, and another one was her former lecturer. Surprisingly, all of them were not aware that they were to give reference in case they were contacted and this could be the reason why she didn’t proceed past the interview stage. It reminded me of a case we had the previous year. A candidate passed the interview, but when background checks were done, the reference came out negative. My big question was, was the referee aware that he would be contacted? Did the candidate know that the referee would give a negative review?

Some employers will ask you to provide professional referees. In that case, take the referee as a witness who will represent you before the judge. If a witness has evidence, you are likely to win because the verdict will be in your favor.  The same case in your professional CV, if the referee can vouch for you, you are likely to get a job.

Before you send your application, ensure your list of references is right. Did you have a good relationship with them, did you work closely with them, and how will they talk about you if contacted? Choose the people who will speak positively and emphasize on your strengths.

In this article, I will answer the big question of who should you put as your referee.

1. Current Employer

“Should I list my current employer as a referee?” I received this email last week “I am currently employed and looking for another job but I don’t know if my employer will support this idea. I am excellent in my job and I know my employer won’t like to lose me so I don’t know if excluding my current employer as referee will act as a red flag.

Most employers will ask you to provide your current employer as a referee on your CV if they decided that you are worth being considered, they will want to know current information about your strengths.

There are some cases where it is fine to omit the current employer as ref when you don’t want your employer to know you are looking for another role, or if you are serious about a new role and your employer doesn’t want to let you go.

2. Former Employer

For Lucy’s CV, details of her former employer as a referee were not provided and that raised a lot of questions because employers expect to see people you have worked with.

Former employers can verify the information you provide in your resume for example the position you held, your experience, achievements, and the period you worked.

This enables the potential employer to get a better understanding of your character, abilities, and work ethic.

3. Former Supervisor

Your supervisors know you better than the director or manager hence they make the cut in your reference list on your curriculum vitae to make it stand out.

It is therefore it is important to create positive relationships with supervisors to ensure they have something to say and leave no doubt about your competency.

4. A Colleague You Closely worked With

It is advisable to create good friendship with colleagues while working because they can give a reliable reference about your career history. They understand how you related with other people and they can speak about how you worked as a team and what you achieved together.

One of the most important soft skills that employers look for is teamwork hence having a colleague who can vouch for you is important.

5. Academic Professor or Academic Advisor

This is applicable especially for fresh graduates who are looking for a job for the first time. Professors who know you can reveal more about you while you were a student and that can be used to predict the type of employer you can be.

Choosing an academic advisor as a referee who has known you well is essential because they can talk about your professional growth and can give positive remarks about you.

Finally

If asked to provide referees, chose at least three people, discuss with them first and let them know that they can be contacted by recruiters. The referee section can make or break your success hence ensure you select the best people to speak on your behalf.

Still wondering how to write a referee section and other parts of a CV for you to succeed in your job search? Our professional CV writers will help you out today!