To provide a reference or not to... That is the question.

A reference is the opinion that someone from your previous workplace has of you. Should you putting these peoples info on your CV?

Normally its in relation to your Performance, Time keeping, are you presentable, ability to get on with others etc... The contact information for a referee is generally found on a CV, but should it be there?

The standard CV is setup as follows:

1: Biological information

2: Educational history

3: Work and Experience history

4: References

So that last one, should you be giving the names/ designations and contact information of the people that you have worked for?

Mmmmmh, well lets go with yes for the first part and how to handle that and then with no and why that's probably a better option.

If you are going to provide a list of people who you have worked with, make sure of the following:

You actually worked for them, or reported to them. (No one wants to know your side kicks opinion ;) )

They know they are on your CV as a referee.They will say something positive about you. If you have had a negative experience such as a personality clash with a person @ your previous job, chances are they will be reserved with the positive commentary. Remember a Reference is in fact an opinion, it is supposed to be a professional one, so make sure to cite a professional not a chum.

So lets look at the option of not putting references on your CV.

You can always say "References available upon request" This is a great option for three reasons:

You know that a potential employer is interested in you.

No real need for any person that is not interested in you to have that information.

You have time and a really reason to ensure that the above three must haves are done correctly.

Most companies ask for References, so it is vital that you do not burn your bridges! Ensure to be able to have a good reference from any previous place of work, but its not necessary to plaster in your CV from the get go.

Amore Legere

Konrad Bryczkowski