Listing References on Resume

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Bingo

This brings up another pet peeve related to references.

Please let your references know that you have listed them as a reference. I have received a couple of calls out of the blue regarding people who listed me as references. Though I really liked them and provided good comments, I would have loved some warning and their resume so that I would have been prepared to give more detailed feedback.

So here's what I did in my job search a couple of years ago. When I was closing in on the finish line and looking towards the references and offers stage, I got in touch with each of the three people that I was going to list as a reference. Two of them I worked with, so we got a cup of coffee. The other I called. Anyway, we caught up on career stuff in general and I told them why I was looking to make a career move and some of the opportunities that I was considering. Focus on the positive of what you are looking to do and the type of companies under consideration (maybe not specific company names). That stuff will help them frame their comments when contacted.

Afterwards I emailed each of them my current resume and in the email included a couple of highlights from when we worked together. I thanked them for serving as references, in addition to all of the usual pleasantries.

The recruiter and the hiring guys who checked my references were blown away and mentioned that those were some of the best references they had heard - and I got the offers. But without going through the steps above I don't think the references would have been nearly as impactful (especially those I hadn't worked with in a couple of years).

/TLDR