Texas Legal Recruiters

Preparing a List of References

Whenever applying for a job or interviewing with a legal recruiter, the chances are good that you will be asked for a list of references. These people, in many instances, will be able to help you get the job you want so it’s important to get the list right.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the list of references does not go on the résumé. A list of references gets its own page. The format of the references page and résumé should be very similar, nearly identical really. This is done in an effort to ensure that people connect your résumé with your references.

When assembling your list of references, be sure to ask permission to include a person as a reference before you actually send out the list of references with their name included. In addition, all references should be given a copy of your résumé. Before sending out the list, it is important to discuss your résumé’s content as well as your personality, accomplishments, and skills with the reference. This is important as you want the reference to be able to speak knowledgeably about you.

A good list of references has at least three professional references. These are not personal acquaintances but people with whom or for whom you have worked in the past. On the list of references, their complete name, title, organization, address, and telephone number should all be included.

References should be listed in the order in which you want them to be contacted. In addition, they should be listed with the strongest reference first. The theory here is that the potential employer probably doesn’t want to get a lukewarm reference first, they may never make it to the second reference.

If you are working on changing jobs and feel you need some help, contact the Texas legal recruiters of The Sapire Search Group at 1-866-413-2868.