CV references: how and when to give them

CV space is for achievements. “References available on request” adds nothing — it's assumed. Prepare a separate document and share it when asked, usually at final stage.

Your direct manager ahead of a colleague, and someone who can speak to concrete results rather than your personality. Two well-chosen referees beat five lukewarm ones.

Name, job title, employer, their relationship to you, the period you worked together, phone and work email. “Sarah Okafor · Head of Finance, Redwell Group · direct line manager 2021-2024 · 07700 000000.”

Get permission, tell them which role you're applying for, and remind them of two shared achievements they can mention. A referee caught off guard answers hesitantly, and that hesitation outweighs any praise.

Perfectly normal in a confidential search: say so and offer a previous manager, a client or a project lead. Nobody penalises that discretion when you explain it in one line.

A generic letter from five years ago convinces nobody. A live contact willing to pick up the phone is worth far more than an old, flattering PDF.

The best referee is someone who can confirm concrete results: your direct manager from the role closest to the one you want. A colleague can speak to your manner but not to your numbers, and that's exactly what's being checked. Two well-chosen referees convince more than five lukewarm ones, because the value is in specificity, not volume.

If your last manager isn't an option — confidential search, company closed, poor relationship — there are legitimate alternatives: a previous manager, a client you worked with continuously, a project lead, or your placement supervisor. What doesn't work is a relative, or a friend with an invented job title.

The document sits apart from the CV, in the same design, and carries for each referee: name, job title, employer, their relationship to you, the period you worked together, phone and work email. Nothing more. “References available on request” adds nothing on a CV: it's assumed, and it burns a line that could hold an achievement.

Before you hand it over, always warn them. Ask permission, say which role and which employer, and remind them of two shared achievements they can mention. A referee caught off guard answers hesitantly, and that hesitation weighs more in the final decision than any generic praise.

References are requested at final stage, almost always after the last interview and before the offer. Sending them early accelerates nothing and burns your contacts' goodwill — they'll take a limited number of calls on your behalf.

What gets checked is simpler than people expect: that you worked there, on those dates, in that role, and whether they'd hire you again. Extensive praise carries little weight; consistency carries a lot. That's why the dates and titles in the document must match your CV and your public profile exactly.