DerrJones Recruiting Solutions

Resume References


Presenting your resume references in a professional manner is an important part of the hiring process. Here's the template you should follow if you want to stand out from your competition.

Resume References You Should Include:

  • 2 most recent direct managers (people you reported to)
  • 2 peers (people at the same level in the organization)
  • 2 direct reports (people who have reported in to you)
  • 2 external customers or strategic alliance partners (for sales professionals)

While we don't want you to do anything to jeopardize your current position, you must provide some reasonably current references. If you are currently in transition, the expectation is that you will provide resume references from your most recent company. If your former boss is not on the list, you will raise several questions about your past performance.

For each reference, you need the following information:

  • Reference name
  • Contact information, specifically a current email address (preferably work email) and a daytime phone number where they can be reached. A cell phone number is also helpful.
  • Company name where you worked together
  • The person's title at the time you worked together
  • Reference's current employer (if they have changed companies)
  • Reference's current position (if changed)
  • The number of years you worked together
  • What the reference can speak to (e.g. management style, sales results); put the referee in context

A Good Resume References List:

Here's a fictional example of a good resume reference list:

References for John Q. Public

Manager References:

Ann Smith
610-555-1234 (office)
610-555-6789 (cell)
asmith@anydomain.com

Company at the time we worked together: ABC Widget, Inc.
Title: Senior VP - Sales
Current Employer: Same
Current Position: Same
Years Worked Together: 5

As my direct supervisor, Ann is able to speak to my management style, my team's results and my own personal sales results.


Bill Jones
781-555-0123 (office)
781-555-6789 (cell)
bill.jones@anydomain.com

Company at the time we worked together: XYZ Manufacturing, Inc.
Title: VP - Sales
Current Employer: Mega Manufacturing, Inc.
Current Position: Divisional President
Years Worked Together: 3

Bill was my direct supervisor at XYZ. While working with Bill, I launched several new product lines, recruited a regional sales team and rose to the top producing sales leader in the country. He can comment on my sales style, my results orientation, my ability to coach and mentor staff. In addition, Bill is familiar with how I apply my technical knowledge to a variety of sales situations.

Peer References:

Jim Brown
610-555-3456 (office)
610-555-9876 (cell)
brownj@anydomain.com

Company at the time we worked together: ABC Widget, Inc.
Title: Sr. Sales Director - Western Region
Current Employer: Same
Current Position: Same
Years Worked Together: 2

Jim and I were peers in the sales group, reporting into Ann Smith. Jim can comment on my relationships with both internal staff and with clients. Jim is specifically familiar with my interaction with our Operations and Sales Support teams and can speak to my ability to build relationships across all levels in the organization.


Ellen DeHay
345-555-1234 (office)
345-555-0135 (cell)
ellendehay@anydomain.com

Company at the time we worked together: ABC Widget, Inc.
Title: Director, Operations
Current Employer: Same
Current Position: Same
Years Worked Together: 3

Ellen was my primary contact in our operations group, responsible for preparing RFP responses and coordinating pricing between sales and engineering. I worked closely with Ellen's team in both new business development and in account management. She knows my technical skills well and can also address my organization and follow through skills.

Direct Reports

Gerry Hoover
610-555-3333 (office)
610-555-5678 (cell)
ghoover@anydomain.com

Company at the time we worked together: ABC Widget, Inc.
Title: National Account Rep
Current Employer: Same
Current Position: Same
Years Worked Together: 2

I brought Gerry into ABC to build a national account practice. He can speak to my management style and comment at length on how we worked together to build our key account business. I've been grooming Gerry for additional responsibility, so he can also comment on my ability to coach and mentor my staff.


Sheila Anderson
610-555-1232 (office)
610-555-4556 (cell)
Sheila@anydomain.com

Company at the time we worked together: ABC Widget, Inc.
Title: Sr. Sales Director
Current Employer: Big Industry, Inc.
Current Position: Regional Sales Manager
Years Worked Together: 4

Sheila was on the team when I arrived at ABC. At the time I joined, Sheila's production was about average for the group. By the time I left, she was one of my top performers. She's a true success story from a management standpoint. She can take you through the steps we took to turn her performance around.

Customer References

Barry Novak
SVP Operations - Mega Manufacturing
610-555-4566 (office)
novak@anydomain.com

Barry has been a client for the past 10 years.


Tom Franklin
COO - TRP Fusing
610-555-6578 (office)
tfranklin@anydomain.com

Tom is my largest client from ABC. We did approximately $5 million with TRP last year and are on track to increase that relationship by 50% this fiscal year.








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