You’ve spent hours crafting the perfect cover letter and preparing for your interview. Don’t neglect the final step of the application process: creating a reference sheet.
Understanding how to list references correctly simplifies the hiring process. If a hiring manager asks for the names and contact information of those who can speak to your experience, you’ll already have a document ready to hand over.
And it doesn’t take much to feel confident you’re ready for the last phase of your job hunt. With a reference template, you can quickly organize your personal and professional referees’ contact information in an easy-to-read format.
What’s a reference list?
A reference list is a document that provides contact information for people who can attest to your professional personality, ethos, skills, qualifications, and accomplishments. Hiring managers and recruiters often request one after a successful interview and before finalizing a job offer.
You may also receive a similar request from landlords, educational institutions, and volunteer organizations to prove your strong professional history and character.
Are reference and background checks the same?
In short, no. While both checks are concerned with an applicant’s history, background checks verify a person’s identity, professional details, education, and/or work history via formal documentation.
What information an employer seeks during a background check depends on the company’s needs and expectations, as well as any relevant compliance laws.
If, for example, the role requires the new hire to work with a vulnerable population — such as children — the hiring team must verify that applicants don’t have a criminal history.
Here are a few different types of background checks:
Personal versus professional references
There are two types of job references: personal and professional. The people you include in your list will depend on the nature of the information you’re providing. For example, references for joining a social service organization might differ from the ones you choose to secure employment.
Personal references
Sometimes referred to as character references, personal references offer a brief and fair appraisal of who you are as a person outside of work. Ideally, you know the person providing the reference as a:
Using a personal reference for a job is acceptable, especially when starting on your career path and trying to get a job with little to no experience. These people can provide employers with information regarding your soft skills and personality to help them gauge your cultural fit within the organization.
If you’re not sure if you should include personal references on your list, ask the hiring team when they make the request.
Professional references
Hiring the wrong person can be expensive: anywhere between $17,000 to $240,000, depending on the position. That’s why many — though not all — employers choose to speak to references before committing to an applicant.
Work references assure your future employer that you’re the right person for the job and provide valuable insight into your abilities in the professional sphere. These contacts can discuss and assess skills, training, qualifications, and work ethic in the context of your new role.
Examples of professional references include:
- A former boss or manager
- A member of your professional network
- A current coworker
- Your internship supervisor
- Past clients
- A volunteer coordinator
Always ask the person if they’re willing to provide a reference before including them on your list. And when you launch your job hunt, give your contacts a heads-up that there’s the possibility an employer will reach out.
Providing notice gives references time to review your work, formulate answers to any potential question, and provide as glowing a recommendation as possible.
What to include on a reference list
Your reference list doesn’t need to contain extensive details about each contact, but it should provide context for your relationship. The information will differ whether the person serves as a professional or personal reference.
Include the following personal details for all references:
- Full name
- Title or post-nominal letters (e.g., PhD, CPA, MD)
- Email address
- Phone number
For your list of professional references, you should also include:
- Company name
- Job title
- Dates you worked together
If you include a personal reference, be sure to add:
- Your relationship
- How long you’ve known each other
7 tips for an excellent reference list
Your reference list should reflect the same level of professionalism as your resume and cover letter. Following these suggestions to ensure you provide all the information a recruiter may need in a format they can easily understand:
1. Title your page
Always include your title, name, and contact information at the top of your reference page. Prominently listing this information makes it easier for the person looking over these documents to identify the owner.
2. Be consistent
Your cover letter, resume, and references should be one cohesive package. Create a professional impression by formatting consistently across your entire job application. Use the same fonts, weights, sizes, and spacing for your list as you do in the other two documents.
3. Use a meaningful order
If you’re a job seeker at the beginning of your career, you may not have a lot of references to choose from, so place the best sources of information at the top of the page. You can’t guarantee that an employer will call everyone on your sheet. Positioning your contacts in this order makes it likelier that they’ll contact the best person to provide background for the role you’re applying for.
If you’ve been employed for a while, you likely have a long list of potential references. Before submitting your list, review the job description and place the contacts that best speak to the role you’re applying for at the top. You can order them alphabetically or chronologically if they’re all equally strong, beginning with your most recent job.
4. Eliminate clutter
Keep your list of references clean, without unnecessary clutter. It should be easily scannable, so don’t include any information the employer doesn’t need. Stick to listing only the contact information — this isn’t the place to wax poetic.
5. Include three to five references
Limit the number of contacts on your personal or professional reference page to between three and five contacts. More than this can be overwhelming — and the shorter your list, the more control you exercise over who the potential employer contacts.
6. Send upon request
You don’t need to include your reference list with your job application, nor are you required to say on a resume that you have a list available upon request. Wait until a potential employer asks before forwarding on the information.
7. Be honest
If you don’t have the requested number of professional references, don’t fudge things. Let the hiring manager know and ask if you can use personal references instead. Falsifying your references is one of the most common ways candidates mislead potential employers and could result in them withdrawing your job offer.
Reference list templates
Use the following templates to make a reference list in a flash:
Professional references template
Name: Title, name, and post-nominal letters
Company: Company name
Title: Professional title
Dates: Year to year or year to present
Phone: Professional phone number and extension
Email: Professional email address
Professional references example
Name: Martina Schnell, CA
Company: Your Accounting Pros
Title: Chief Financial Analyst
Dates: 2022 to present
Phone: (123) 456 7890
Email: mschnell@yap.com
Personal references template
Name: Title, name, and post-nominal letters
Relationship: Nature of relationship
Length of relationship: Number of years
Phone: Personal phone number
Email: Personal email address
Personal references example
Name: Professor Wilson Phipps, PhD
Relationship: College professor
Length of relationship: 3 years
Phone: (555) 555-5555
Email: myenglishprof@academia.edu
Reference list example
When you pull all the information into one document, it should look similar to this:
| Diana Martinez Reference List Phone: (555) 555-5555 Email: dmartinez@jobhunter.com |
| Professional References |
| Name: Martina Schnell, CA Company: Your Accounting Pros Title: Chief Financial Analyst Dates: 2022 to present Phone: (555) 555-5555 Email: mschnell@email.com |
| Name: Jagvir Mandeep, CPA Company: Accounting Firm Title: Intermediate Accountant Dates: 2020 to 2022 Phone: (555) 555-5555 Email: jagman@email.com |
| Name: Bai Liu Company: We Manage Finances Title: Payroll Manager Dates: 2019 to 2020 Phone: (555) 555-5555 Email: bailiu@wmf.com |
| Personal References |
| Name: Professor Wilson Phipps, PhD Relationship: College professor Length of relationship: 3 years Phone: (555) 555-5555 Email: prof@academia.edu |
| Name: Mara Notello Relationship: Lacrosse coach Length of relationship: 8 years Phone: (555) 555-5555 Email: coach@fieldsports.com |
Resume references
It’s rare to see a reference list on a resume. That space can be better used to list your skills, accomplishments, or other information critical to your job search.
But sometimes, the job notice will request them. And depending on the type of resume you use, it may be convenient to add the information there. Otherwise, create a separate reference list to include in your application.
If you decide it’s worthwhile to list references on a resume, template the information according to the above professional or personal examples.
Look ahead to your new role
After your interview, the next step in the hiring process is the reference check. Too often, it’s considered a formality. But laying the groundwork for a productive conversation with contacts who know you and your work is as essential as creating a compelling resume.
Don’t wait for a request to arrive. Prepare your reference list now, and update it regularly so you’re always job-search ready. You can use a reference template to speed up the process.
Be thorough and check your reference list for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors before you press “Send.” After that, all you have to do is get ready for your first day at work.
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