When To Offer Up References

[Pete Incaviglia]

I've always said "references available upon reques" when applying for jobs.

Is this still the best way to go about it?

Or, should I list a few immediately?

The reason I ask is because I think one who agreed to be a reference would jump out at the person doing the hiring.

Just wondering what the standard practise is today.

What say you people doing the hirings?

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Stitch]

I'll send them if requested in the job ad. Otherwise, I'll send them when I get to the interview stage. Personally, I don't like giving references before I have a first interview.

Had one hack SE, who posts on here, call my references first and then called me at 10 p.m. for a phone interview.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Upon request, as they say.

I find that it's a handy second sheet to have in your hand when you arrive for an interview. (Always bring spare copies of your resume.)

 

[Mystery Meat II]

I've always included them in the resume, with an "other references available upon request" tacked on the end. It's only five lines, and I wonder if not having references up front is a red flag (hey, this guy doesn't want to tell us who his references are ... doesn't sound like he's very confident they'll give him a good one ... assuming he even has any and he's not scrambling to find some homeless guy who'll pretend to be a middle manager in exchange for a jug of questionable chablis ... maybe we can do better). But that's just me.

 

[In Cold Blood]

When I was applying for newspaper gigs, all the advice I received was to use the old "available upon request" line. Now that I'm nearing the end of grad school and preparing to search for teaching jobs, I have several professors who are adamant to always include references up front. Their argument is that in a saturated job market, you want to make it as easy as possible for a hiring person. If they have to work too hard to track down all the information about you that they want (including references), they might decide to move on to one of the 100 other applicants who actually included all the information from the get-go.

 

[BB Bobcat]

I always put mine on. Frankly, I don't even understand why you wouldn't. Just creates an unnecessary extra step.

 

[mustangj17]

I obviously submit them if they ask up front. I also bring them on a sheet with me to the interview.

I usually don't put "references upon request" because, isn't that sort of expected? What am I going to say if they ask? "No I don't have any"

 

[flexmaster33]

I say they should be included on your resume up front...why create extra work and phone calls for the people doing the hiring. Also, to me, it seems if they aren't available in the initial package you are trying to hide something. (probably not the case most times, but it just gives off that feeling).

In a recent hire, the interview was going poorly, but the interviewee seemed to have no clue. At the end, as a kind of test, we asked which references would be best to contact. He went through all three he listed with strange reasons why we should NOT contact them at this point. Ended up saying we could call some college buddy. Needless to say, he didn't come close to getting our job.

Crazy part is when we told him he didn't make the cut, he mentioned that he had just found a job in another field (whether that was true or not, who knows)

 

[BobSacamano]

Had one hack SE, who posts on here, call my references first and then called me at 10 p.m. for a phone interview.

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