References on a resume

[shmokes]

What do you think of putting references on a resume, as opposed to something like, "References available on request," or having a separate page of references?  And does the quality of the reference influence your opinion?  For example, say you were applying for a job in the technology sector or in politics and you had a personal reference from Bill Gates or Barrack Obama respectively. 

One of my concerns with putting references directly on my resume is diminishing returns.  I will be submitting my resume to maybe 20 different places (who knows, maybe more), and I can imagine that the quality of the 12 or 13th reference would not necessarily be on par with the first few.  Answering calls and emails over and over again probably gets annoying.  So I hate to have people annoying my references if there is little to no chance of getting hired either way.

[RayB]

...I can imagine that the quality of the 12 or 13th reference would not necessarily be on par with the first few.  Answering calls and emails over and over again probably gets annoying.  So I hate to have people annoying my references if there is little to no chance of getting hired either way.

You just answered your own question. I believe this is why "available on request" is the norm.

[shmokes]

And what about this:

does the quality of the reference influence your opinion?  For example, say you were applying for a job in the technology sector or in politics and you had a personal reference from Bill Gates or Barrack Obama respectively. 

In this economy nobody is hiring.  It is literally the worst time for hiring in my industry in over 70 years.  But I have a personal reference that would make anybody in the field I want to work in do a double take . . . anybody in the entire world.  So while I am obviously concerned about too many people seeing the reference, I'm also concerned about my resume being brushed aside by people who would have hired me on the spot if they knew this guy would vouch for me.

[Vanguard]

You're giving Saint too much credit. 

[saint]

You're giving Saint too much credit. 

No he's not.

[Vanguard]

Can I put you on my resume then?  You may get a visit from the NSA though.

[saint]

Can I put you on my resume then?  You may get a visit from the NSA though.

Again? That'd be awesome!

[saint]

As a hiring manager, I never look at references unless I'm about to make an offer. If you have a reference that will make people's eyes pop, consider asking that reference to write you a letter of recommendation to include with your resume. I might not read it, but I'll at least glance at it as I shuffle to your resume. If I recognize the name as someone then I'd probably read it.

[ark_ader]

...I can imagine that the quality of the 12 or 13th reference would not necessarily be on par with the first few.  Answering calls and emails over and over again probably gets annoying.  So I hate to have people annoying my references if there is little to no chance of getting hired either way.

You just answered your own question. I believe this is why "available on request" is the norm.

+1

I have a written reference from all my previous employers that I keep in a file.  Whenever I go to an interview I open it up and there is no further discussion.  Besides 9/10 employers do not check references - but they do check credit scores.  I read recently where some states are trying to stop employers looking at credit scores because of how many have ruined their credit via this current fiasco.

If you want that job, then I suggest you harass that employer until he takes you on or tells you to take a hike.