How To List References on a Resume With Examples

References can help you land your next job by corroborating the personal strengths and professional skills you bring to the role. In fact, studies show that about 95% of employers use references in the hiring process. But you may be unclear on how to list references on a resume and whether you should include them at all.

The following guide will provide a clear breakdown of how to handle professional references. From selecting the right contacts to formatting your list, we’ll provide simple steps to ensure your references boost your chances of landing a job.

Tips for Listing References on a Resume

A strong list of professional references can be a powerful tool in your job search. It’s a way for hiring managers to validate your skills and experiences based on the words of people who have seen you in action. Let’s go over the essential steps to follow when creating a reference list:

1. Identify possible references
2. Gather relevant details
3. Request permission from your contacts
4. Format your list appropriately
5. Submit references at the right time

1. Identify possible references

Anyone who can speak about your skills and successes in the type of work you’re now pursuing can be used as a reference. Typically, this will be past or present colleagues, not friends or family. Even if your relevant work has been at your family’s business, use coworkers you aren’t related to as references since they’re seen as a more neutral source of information about you.

It’s generally better to have your resume references be people from your recent experience who have supervised you in some capacity. But neither of these qualities is more important than these people speaking about your relevant experience.

For example, say you’ve worked in human resources for the past three years but now want to move back to your previous career in sales. In that case, your most recent supervisor may be less pertinent as a potential reference than a sales or marketing colleague of yours from five or six years ago.

2. Gather relevant details

It can be tricky to round up information that’s current and accurate, but the goal is to make it as easy as possible for the hiring manager to contact any of your given resume references. Make sure to include:

• Name: Start with your reference’s first and last name.

• Job title and company name: This should be from whenever you worked together (if they no longer hold this position, put “Former” in front of the title). It’s not strictly necessary to give their current job status – what’s more important is drawing a clear link between the person and the work history information on your resume.

• Contact information: List their current email address, phone number, and location. You don’t need to give their street address, but include city and state so hiring managers can know the reference’s time zone and probable business hours.

The following example shows all the information you’ll need for a reference:

3. Request permission from your contacts

Once you’ve compiled your list of contacts, you might be wondering how to ask for a professional reference. It’s important to ensure anyone you include on your list is comfortable with potential employers contacting them. Human resources (HR) professionals emphasize the importance of a proactive approach in contacting references so they aren’t caught off guard.

Whether face-to-face, over the phone, or through an email, make your request personal and professional. Let them know about the role you’re pursuing and how they could offer relevant feedback. Here’s an example of how you could ask for permission:

4. Format your list appropriately

Since you won’t often include references on a resume or other application documents, put them in a separate document. Just save a copy of your resume, delete all but your contact header at the top, and enter each person’s details using the same professional font and general format scheme on your resume.

Regardless of your industry, the formatting of your reference page should follow a simple outline. Arrange the list in chronological order, starting with the people you’ve worked with most recently at the top.

Here’s a template you can use to ensure proper formatting of your reference page:

5. Submit references at the right time

Turn in your resume references as soon as you’re asked for them, but no sooner. Most job postings don’t ask for references, so don’t include them in your initial application. However, if you’re working in a field like health care, where a high degree of trust is required, you may come across job postings and online applications that request a reference list immediately.

Spend the time now before you start applying to draw up your list of preferred references, gain their permission, and gather their relevant information. Taking these steps sooner than later keeps you from having to scramble for references when a promising job lead requests them. This is especially important when applying for roles within fast-paced environments like tech startups, where hiring decisions are often made swiftly.

Reference Page Examples

Now that you know the basics of selecting and presenting your references, let’s look at a few ways you can organize this information. Below you’ll find reference pages for different industries demonstrating proper formatting and appropriate detail. Whether you’re in law, health care, or business, your reference page can be as simple as the following examples.

Why Your Resume Shouldn’t Include References

You may be wondering why you aren’t supposed to put references on a resume. Even if an employer didn’t request them, references couldn’t hurt your overall candidacy, right? The reason is that references fall outside the normal focus and purpose of a resume.

Fundamentally, your resume should be your answer to a hiring manager’s question: “What qualifications do you bring to the role I’m trying to fill?” You can leave out pretty much everything that falls outside the scope of that answer, aside from the basics on any recent unrelated jobs. Viewed in this light, your reference details are something of a non sequitur as they don’t answer the question at hand.

Imagine a hiring manager sitting across the desk from you in an interview and saying, “So, tell me a little about your qualifications.” You might reply by talking about your years of related work experience, a recent achievement, or a key certification you’ve earned – all things naturally featured on a resume. But it’s unlikely you’d reply by saying, “Here are the contact details of my references who can vouch for me.”

Tip!

Tip!

Omit the common resume line, “References available upon request,” because this is already assumed by the hiring manager.

How To Cultivate and Maintain Valuable References for a Resume

Once you accept your next job, let all your references know the good news, and show your appreciation again for their support with a thank you note. You might not even know whether they were contacted, but no matter.

At this point, you may understandably wish to return their favor in some direct way. But think twice about having a quid pro quo dynamic with your resume references — it can cause a conflict of interest that muddles any future reference requests that take place between you. Better to simply appreciate each reference for what it is: a genuine favor, an account of your prior success, and a vote of confidence in your future work.

And for those colleagues who’ve worked closely with you and know your strengths, just hearing they helped you take the next step will be their best reward of all.

Frequently Asked Questions About References

Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.