Dear Cindy – References with Résumé?

Should references be included as part of my résumé, or is it better to leave them out and supply them only when asked by a potential employer?

Sincerely,

KW

Do you mean that you have written references on hand that you would like to send, or do you mean that you have names and contact details of referees?

First, regarding paper references: If you are unemployed and have a current reference from your last employer that addresses what the job description calls for, send it with your résumé. Sending it in could give you an advantage over the competition. Don't send in other references – they can wait until you are asked for them. You want to balance sending information that could help your application with sending too much – or not useful – information.

Second, regarding names and contact details: If you are currently employed, it's best (and standard) simply to state "References provided on request" at the end of your résumé. Most people don't want their current boss to know they're looking for a job, and putting the information on a résumé might prompt a prospective employer to call before you can advise your boss. You want to be able to alert your employer to the fact that someone will be calling for a reference – and you may also want to let your employer know which things (e.g., specific skills) you'd like her/him to discuss when called.