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Get That Job With The Right CV: Should references be included?

by Julie Gray

As a rule, they should not. The best approach is to keep references separate from your CV and to provide them to recruiters only when asked. References are normally not taken up until an employer has made you a conditional job offer or at least put you on the final shortlist.

By applying for jobs with references on your CV, you leave your referees open to being contacted by any recruiter at any stage and possibly without your knowledge. This makes it hard to manage the process and difficult to brief your referees fully before they respond. If you apply for lots of jobs it could also waste your referees’ time.

Your referees may also consider it a violation of their privacy if their full name, address and contact details are on a document you send out or post on job websites, as you have no control over where it ends up.

If you are asked to supply references as part of your application, this doesn’t mean you must put them on your CV. It’s still OK to provide them on a separate sheet. In fact, it makes more sense: that way your CV can remain as short as possible, focusing purely on proving that you possess the skills to do this job well.


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