The reference list is the third part of the job search trilogy. Your reference list should be separate from your resume. Have your reference list ready before you start your job search so you won't be caught off guard when an interested party requests it. Take as much care in choosing your references and preparing the actual list as you do in preparing your resume and cover letters. These three items represent you to potential employers. Make sure that they do your credit.
Importance of References
What exact role do the references you list play in your job search? First, they provide an interviewer with the opportunity to obtain independent verification of the information that you have supplied. Second, they provide the person listed as a reference with the opportunity to sell you to your potential employer with a glowing report. If you have earned the respect of others in your professional life, you will have a ready pool of potential references who in all likelihood will be very happy to recommend you.
How important is the list of references? Most thoughtful and cautious employers will require a list of references and will conduct reference checks. Usually, the references are checked prior to an offer of employment. Occasionally, an offer is made contingent upon a satisfactory reference check. In either case, good solid references are an important part of the job change process.
Use of the Reference List
Use your references sparingly and judiciously. It is inappropriate to include the reference list when you send your cover letter and resume to a potential employer. The final item on your resume should say "References available upon request." Wait until a prospective employer asks for your list of references. This practice saves not only paper, but far more importantly, your time and the time of your references.
Do not attach letters of reference to your resume. Very few organizations require them. A letter of reference is an anachronism; you do not need to get one from an employer when you leave a job. Letters of reference are noted more for what they omit than for what they actually say. They sound like form letters and lack any hard information about your performance. Instead, most organizations rely on a telephone conversation with some or all of the individuals given in the reference list. By calling the right person, and asking the right questions about what kind of person you are and how you performed your responsibilities, an interested employer will find out the information they need.
The Hierarchy of References
References can be divided into four categories, which should be prioritized as follows: supervisors, peers, subordinates, and others. The best references are supervisors, those people to whom you have reported in your work. List supervisors from up to ten years ago as references. Prospective employers will look very favorably on someone who pleased former supervisors.
Peers are those individuals with whom you have worked during your career. For example, if you are the vice president of nursing, the vice president of finance would be a logical choice to supply as a reference because that person can address your day to day performance. References from peers are a useful alternative if you are unable to obtain a positive reference from a supervisor because of a personality conflict or if a supervisor has died or cannot be located.
If you have alluded to a personality conflict with a former supervisor, a peer can attest to your assertions about the difficulty of working with that individual.
Subordinates are those people who have reported to you at some point. They are especially good references when the search committee includes potential subordinates, or when the hiring committee wants to determine an individual's management style. References from subordinates are particularly important when the organization values participatory management.
Others who can supply references to your character and work ethic are people who were not part of the management team at your former position, but are familiar with your work. For example, if you have worked as the chief financial officer, you could list the partner or senior manager of the auditing firm conducting the hospital's audit as a reference. Often, consultants and fellow professionals with whom you have served on a committee can provide a reference. A word of caution do not misuse this category. Too often, earnest candidates name as references people whom they know only as acquaintances. Refrain from listing references simply because they have a national reputation when they have very little personal knowledge of your own situation. These references are often hard to contact, and their peripheral knowledge of you leads to a meaningless reference. You will then be looked upon as a "name dropper." List only those references with whom you have had active and direct professional contact.
