At the beginning of your job search it is appropriate to think of
suitable referees who can speak of your education and/or experience.
Usually two or three references are sufficient.
 A
credible referee should know you well and be able to speak about your
background and past activities.
Once you have identified several potential referees, contact them
and request use of their name. It may be helpful to provide them with
your résumé.
When asked for the names of your referees by a prospective
employer, contact the referees if you think the prospective employer
will call them. Advise them who is likely to call and when. Let them
know your interest in and suitability for the position and any progress in terms of interviews.
Remember to send your referees a thank you note, and to keep in
touch with them. Click here for a sample thank you letter you can send to a referee.
Should you list your referees in the résumé?
If you are sending out lots of résumés, your referees could end up receiving a lot of calls about you from different employers before you have had a chance to brief the referee about the opportunity you are going for. Consider if this could be disadvantageous to you or an inconvenience for your referees.
If so, it could be better to state on your résumé "Referees available upon request.", which means the employer or recruiter will need to contact you first to obtain the referee's information, allowing you to let the referee know to expect a call regarding a specific position.
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The
Reference Record Sheet
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