Job Search Question: Where Should I List My References?

Q.  Do references belong on a résumé or a LinkedIn profile?

A.  To get noticed by a prospective employer who gets a high volume of résumés, you’ve got to make it easy for the hiring person to learn more about you. For that reason, references belong on a résumé. For additional exposure, add a reference letter to your cover letter and résumé whenever possible. This is particularly useful to a GenX hiring manager who is speed reading a huge stack of résumés. Include other relevant attachments such as copies of awards or certificates related to the job you are applying for, news articles about you or a project you worked on, reference letters, etc.

Used LinkedIn as another tool to increase your online presence, and be sure to ask colleagues, peers, previous employers and other relevant professionals to post recommendations to your profile. You can then point to these in your cover letter or during a phone interview to illustrate your value.

You only have a few seconds to make a great first impression with your résumé package – make them count!