Job Discussion Forums

[Sez]

Hi there.

I think this question has been asked before but I can't find any reference to it.

Should you put referee names on your resume or say that 'references are supplied upon request'?
I'm not too sure what to do about this.

Also, how many references do EFL employers require and what kind of references i.e university tutors, previous employers? My current and past employment has not been in teaching so I wouldn't have any references from this field. But would maybe a university tutor and a tutor from my TEFL course be adequate referees?

Many thanks,

Sez

[Glenski]

Personally, I think it is rather silly to put "References provided upon request" on a resume. If you have them, list them. Otherwise, the statement has no use. Just my opinion.

[Reesy]

Hi Sez,

You're right, this topic has been discussed before under a thread that was entitled "CVs" in the Japan forum. You should still be able to find it.

Anyway, Glenski and I laid out in some detail our opinions on the subject in that thread. Our opinions are not really different, except that I disagree on the point of listing referees on a CV. I am absolutely against it. Glenski's reasoning for not writing "References upon request" is that as a recruiter he would expect any candidate worth their salt to be able to supply references when asked. A fair point, but stating "References available upon request does serve a very important function that I lay out in my 2nd point below. In my opinion, actually writing the names of references on a CV is not a good idea for the following reasons:

1) Your CV should be a list of selling points to get you through an initial screening process. References are only required after a prospective employer has decided that your candidacy deserves further consideration (e.g. an interview). If the employer is still interested after this secondary screening, then they will require references who can confirm that your CV is legitimate and that you would be a reasonable risk as an employee. By listing references on your CV, you are cluttering it with info that does not help in selling your suitability to the job. As Glenski and I would agree, the employer EXPECTS you to have references so why list all of their contact info?

2) It is a courtesy to your references to not write their contact info on your resume. This is especially true if you are sending out more than one or two CVs and live in a different time zone as is often the case in this field. The last thing that you want is umpteen prospective employers calling your reference out of the blue at 2 a.m on a Tuesday morning asking about your character, experience and work history. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND IT IS NOT PLEASANT.

Your referees deserve and require notification from you that they may be contacted by XYZ Company around such and such a date to discuss your candidacy for a position. This gives your reference the opportunity to review your CV again and even do a little research on the company in which you're interested in working. Both of these things will enable your referee to speak more competently on your behalf and increase the likelihood of you securing the position. It is for this reason that I support writing "References available upon request" on your CV.

Any decent company would not dream of contacting your references prior to getting your permission. However, the field of ELT spans the globe and recruiting practises therefore differ as does the professionalism/competence of recruiters. By writing "References available upon request" you can ensure that recruiters do not peeve off your references by not allowing you to contact them prior to being contacted by your prospective employer. Not doing so is a surefire way to p#ss off your references and make them less likely to act as your reference again.

I suppose this comes down to a matter of style as there are lots of different opinions about how to handle CVs, references, interviews, etc. I guess what you have to do is listen to both sides of this issue and make the decision that best suits your situation.

Good luck!