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Have you noticed that recruiters almost always ask for references along with your resume? This is where you need a reference page that can help list down references that can endorse the skills you’ve mentioned on your resume. When creating your resume for the first time, don’t forget that you also need to ensure that you have your reference page ready as well. Fortunately, there are tools such as FormsPal that have letter of recommendation templates and other useful resources for you to use.
What Is A Professional Reference Page?
A professional reference page refers to a one-page document that holds about one to five references for your recruitment needs. These are not always necessary, but most employers ask for a professional reference page alongside your official resume.
A reference page covers the following elements:
- Your name and contact details
- The name of your reference
- The contact details of your reference
- The company and position of your reference
- A statement about your relationship
Each reference needs to fill in these details for the list to be complete and acceptable by the recruiter. Therefore, whenever you’re making your resume, make sure to carefully assess whether or not your references have added in the right details for the reference page.
Why Do You Need A Reference Page?
When applying for jobs, you add a range of skills to your resume. However, these alone don’t help the recruiter get to know more details about you. Having a reference page for your recruiter to view helps in showcasing your skills better.
A reference page works as a real-life example of your skills and contributes to validating your overall experience. It helps recruiters understand your accomplishments better and learn about the different environments and cultures you’ve worked in.
While a reference page doesn’t necessarily have too many details, it showcases to the employer that you have adequate experience and backing from previous supervisors for the work you’ve done.
How To Write A Professional Reference Page For Employment?
If you’re wondering about how to write a professional reference page, look no further. It’s not difficult to do so as it requires very basic information about you and your reference. The main part of the entire reference page is the statement that your reference gives about your relationship with them and the work you’ve done.
The applicant’s name and contact details should be clearly marked at the beginning, followed by the details of the person giving the reference. This is necessary to ensure that the recruiter can reach out to either of them for further validation.
Along with this, you need to add the position and company the reference belongs to, followed by their statement for you. While many businesses prefer to get direct references, others prefer it through the reference page. Make sure that you always have it ready when putting together a resume.
Using A Resume Builder To Enhance Your Overall Profile
An easy way for you to enhance your overall profile is by making sure that your resume and your reference page are up to the mark. The Resume Builder Pro can help you create one of the best resumes possible to get the job you’ve been dreaming of. It is a simple and effective way to get access to the most professionally-made resumes when looking for jobs.
The best thing about this is that you can access its features for free and enjoy smart and professional resumes for every job that you apply to. Along with this, you’ll find the Resume Builder Pro to offer you a variety of templates and layouts to choose from for your resume. This helps in choosing something that meets your employment requirements.
The Resume Builder Pro will help accentuate your overall profile; you won’t have to spend too much time worrying about creating the perfect resume. It helps you focus on other elements that add to your application, such as your reference page.
Should You Include A Reference Page For Your Application?
When it comes to whether or not you should include your reference page for your application, there’s no right answer. It mainly depends on what the recruiter asks from you. Most of the time, the recruiter makes it clear about the documents needed for the application.
If you see that they’ve clearly mentioned the need for a reference page, that’s when you should include it in your application. Otherwise, you don’t really need to add it in your application. Don’t think that adding the reference page will add to your resume as recruiters don’t have time to go over every single detail.
And so, you should only include a reference page for your application when it’s clearly pointed out by the recruiter. This shows that they want to know more about your experience and relationship with others around you.
How Many References Should You Add?
Are you concerned about how many references you should add to your reference page? Well, most of the time, your recruiter will clear out the number of references required for the job. However, if no such clarification is present, then you take the next best option; go with three references for your application.
Typically, you’ll find that including references ranging from 3 to 5 is the norm when adding the reference page to your resume. Anything more than that is too much. So, make sure to keep it limited to five max.
Who Should Be On Your Reference List?
Now, the question is who should be on your reference list? Here’s a list of a few people that should ideally be on your list.
- Someone Who Knows You Personally
The person on your reference page should know you well enough to vouch for you. If you don’t have any personal connection with this individual, they won’t be able to give a true picture of what their relationship with them is like. Instead, the reference statement can be vague, which is not helpful for your case.
- Someone Who Can Endorse Your Skills
The person on your reference page should be able to endorse your skills. This means that any supervisor or colleague that you worked with, who knows about your skills, is a great option for you to add to your reference. This will ensure that they mention good things about you in the statement and ensure that they’re able to endorse what you’ve mentioned in your resume.
- Someone You’ve Worked With
It’s always best to have someone you’ve worked with to be on your reference page. This works greatly as your potential recruiters get to know that you have good ties with your supervisors from previous workplaces. It authenticates your experiences and ensures that you’ve got the relevant skills mentioned on your resume.
Important Points To Remember
When creating your resume, always remember that you should be concise but convincing so that the recruiter gets attracted to what you have to offer. How can you do this?
- Avoid jargon
- Use white space
- Quantify data
- Be precise
- Follow a layout
These tips work for when you’re creating a reference page as well. Follow a format so that you have a systemized way of adding your references to your page. Don’t fill up with too much information; keep the references brief and to the point so that your recruiter actually reads the entire thing.