References on resumes: Yes or no

[Northpilot]

Wondering what the view is on this question: references on a resume: yes or no..

One person said that if they didn't see them listed on the resume, they threw them out and never looked at them.

Others stated they never put them on their resume and only gave it when asked for it.

This question was asked on another forum and I thought I would ask what people thought on this question on this forum.

 

[AWACoff]

No, don't provide references on your resume. Any employer worth working for realizes that you will provide references if asked. Don't insult their intelligence by even having "references available upon request". With a good resume typically being 1 page, I don't know how you would find room to put references in there anyways. Objective, flight experience, education, volunteer experience, etc. are much more important items to have than some personal reference which is bound to be good (who provides a reference which will make them look bad?!).
Just my $.02 from unemployment...
See Yooooo

 

[Michael Knight]

CONCUR!!

 

[FlyinBrian]

I now review resumes for a living (since I'm on furlough I now recruit faculty for a University.) Basically, the resume should be as concise as possible, for a pilot job, that means one page. When I get long resumes, I only end up skimming them, so it is very likely that I'm not seeing what the applicant really wants me to. with a nice short, well organized resume, I will see everything on it without having to read a novel.

To this end, I would say don't include references. Employers use your resume to determine if there's any reason to even ask for references. Whoever told you that anyone would throw away your resume becausse it didn't include references was mistaken.

Just one other tip: I really like bullet point or "outline" style resumes. They are very easy to read, and come across clean and organized. Try to write your resume from the standpoint of the person who has to read it, and keep in mind they have a whole stack of 'em. They are not going to spend 15 minutes reading every award you won in junior high. You're lucky if they spend a whole minute on your resume. (I am not exaggerating.)

End of clinic.

 

[aceshigh]

I agree with the previous posters!

I agree 100% with what the previous posters have said. In addition, I would like to add that Cheryl Cage in "Checklist for Success" recommends not having anything about references on you resume. If you're not familiar with Cheryl, "Checklist" is the book to read before an interview. Any other questions, I'd say reference that book. She covers just about everything.

Aceshigh

 

[bobbysamd]

Resumes

Thanks, Brian! Very helpful information, really! Nice to see a point of view from a "recruiter."

No need to put down references. Everyone who applies for any job has references. They know you have references. It is essential to keep your resume down to a page.

Pilot recruiters are interested in only a few things:

(1) Who you are;
(2) How to reach you;
(3) The position for which you are applying (I used to put down just "Professional Pilot Employment" or "Flight Officer" for the commuters);
(4) Your certificates and ratings;
(5) Flight time, total at the top and broken down by category.

I recall attending a seminar where we were told that recruiters only look at the top third of a resume to decide initially who is worth further review. Pilot resumes are very standardized. Look for a standard form and follow it. Don't forget that companies scan in resumes and a non-standard format may be tossed. Send in your resume with a brief cover letter targeted to the company.

Good luck with your job search.