Preparing references

How do I ask someone to be my referee?

Ask directly and politely, explain which roles you are applying for, and give them an easy way to say no. A personal request by phone, in person or by email is best.

Example email:
"Dear Mr Thomas,

I hope you are well. I am applying for project coordinator roles and wondered whether you would be willing to act as one of my referees. You supervised my work on the hospital fit-out project in 2024, which is very relevant to these roles.

If you agree, I will send you my CV and details of each role so you know what to expect. I completely understand if you are unable to.

Kind regards,
Nadia Rahman"

Confirm how they prefer to be contacted, their current job title and their phone number with country code. Thank them whatever their answer.

Reviewed · by the ResumeBuilder.ae editorial team

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Templates to try

Free to edit and preview. Single-column layouts are the safest choice for applicant tracking systems.

ATS Professional

Single column

Use this template: ATS Professional

ATS Classic

Single column

Use this template: ATS Classic

ATS Modern

Single column

Use this template: ATS Modern

General guidance for job seekers, not legal or immigration advice. Employers and applicant tracking systems differ, so always follow the instructions in the job advert. Spotted a mistake? Email support@jobb.ae.

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