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Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,937,291 times
Reputation: 9885
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I'm about to apply for a job that would be a perfect fit for me. The instructions say to send a cover letter, resume, and three references. I've never sent my references with my resume. Usually, I wait until I've at least interviewed and am in the running. Plus, most of my references are upper level and extremely busy and have written me reference letters. So should I include the letters? If I don't attach references is it going to take me out of the running? Why do they want them now anyway?
Is it direct to the company or a staffing agency? If it is a staffing agency be careful. They could just be fishing for manager's contact info so they can send them sales calls and wind up burning your references. Also many of the jobs they post are fake for that reason.
If it is a company direct then go ahead they usually won't devote the time to checking them until you are a serious contender in the final stages. Often they just pass that all to a third party background checking company anyways and they don't want to pay for a dozen candidates. Whereas to a staffing agency reference checking is a pretense to make a sales calls.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,186,228 times
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We require the same, but do not contact references until we have made our choice. If the references check out we make an offer, and never call any other candidate references. Adding written references won't hurt, but we'd still call them.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,937,291 times
Reputation: 9885
Thanks for your responses. Yes, it appears to be the actual company. I really, really want this job so I'm going to just attach the reference info b/c I'm afraid if I don't it might take me out of the running.
Is it direct to the company or a staffing agency? If it is a staffing agency be careful. They could just be fishing for manager's contact info so they can send them sales calls and wind up burning your references. Also many of the jobs they post are fake for that reason.
If it is a company direct then go ahead they usually won't devote the time to checking them until you are a serious contender in the final stages. Often they just pass that all to a third party background checking company anyways and they don't want to pay for a dozen candidates. Whereas to a staffing agency reference checking is a pretense to make a sales calls.
I had this happen to me. I met with a few recruiters and they called my references repeatly! I wind up losing one my references because of it.
I wouldn't include letters of reference, just a list of names. You might want to include addresses and email addresses rather than phone numbers--to help ensure that they don't get harassed with sales calls. Emails are easier to ignore and block than calls. Just add a note that phone numbers can be provided at an interview.
Oftentimes, employers don't even want to call references, just see who you list. Who you list can be just as informative as what they say--that is, if you only list coworkers an not any supervisors, that would say something about what your past bosses have thought of you. If you list very senior management or industry leaders, that says something else entirely.
They are not asking for letters of reference; they are asking for names and numbers. If you are not in the running, your references are not gonna be called. If you are in the running, the company is going to be annoyed that you can't follow simple directions and that they have to ask you for the info they already told you to provide.
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