CREATING A REFERENCE LIST
WHAT IS A REFERENCE LIST?
A reference list is a list of 3-5 professional colleagues who are willing to talk with prospective employers about your skills and experience on the job. Usually, they are people who know first-hand what it was (or is) like to work with you, and they can also talk about your good character.
PROFESSIONAL VERSUS PERSONAL REFERENCES
One of the first things to know is that there’s a difference between "personal" and "professional" references. Typically, employers want to speak with professional references -- people with whom you've worked, for example, a supervisor, colleague, customer/client, or someone you supervised. However, on occasion, a prospective employer may want to contact a personal reference. Examples of personal references are long-time friends or people you’ve known in non-work places, such as school, volunteering, or clubs. Personal references are also quite appropriate and sometimes necessary for people who don't have much work experience. Note: School teachers, university professors, and academic advisors are techinally considered to be "personal" references. However, they do bring a more "professional" perspective to who you are, because if they've known you well in your role as a student, they may have a lot to offer about your diligence, the quality of your work, your communication skills, your ethics, etc.
QUICK TIP #1: Never use a family member as a personal reference. They’re too close to you and will be viewed as biased in your favor.
WHY DOES A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER WANT TO TALK WITH REFERENCES?
It’s assumed that you’re going to look for references who will probably speak highly of your skills, work and character. So why do prospective employers even bother contacting references? There are a few reasons. First, references are often contacted simply to double-check information that you’ve given about your past positions, dates of employment, and job responsibilities. Basically, the employer wants to verify whether or not you’ve been. Second, sometimes references offer unexpected information, particularly if the interviewer asks great questions. Finally, if the reference sincerely thinks highly of you and can express themselves well, their remarks may truly help you get the job.
WHEN SHOULD I PREPARE MY REFERENCE LIST?
Once you begin applying for jobs, you should have a reference list ready. A reference list is usually not requested unless you get an interview. However, at the end of an interview, you may be asked to provide references. If the interview was virtual (e.g. Zoom), you can immediately attach a reference list to the thank-you email that you’re going to send to the interviewer (yes, a thank-you email – that will be covered in next month’s newsletter). If the interview was in person, you can hand the interviewer a copy of your reference list. Or, tell them you’ll email it later in the day, and then send a thank-you message with the reference list attached.
HOW DO I RESPECTFULLY CREATE AND MANAGE A REFERENCE LIST?
Why have we specified “respectfully”? Well, you should NEVER put someone on a reference list unless you’ve gotten their permission!
PHASE ONE:
* When you’re about to create a reference list, think of 3-5 people who know your work and character well enough to talk about you. As mentioned above, professional references are preferred, though personal references are appropriate for people with limited or no work experience.
* Try to choose a variety of people. Reach out to them by phone or email (or in person, if you want).
* Explain that you’re looking for a new job and ask if they’d be comfortable serving as a reference.
* Get their current job title and place of employment, contact phone number and email address.
* Some references may also have a preference about how the interviewer contacts them -- for example, they prefer phone over email. If that’s the case, you’ll need to state that on the reference list.
* Let the references know you’re going to email them a copy of your resume -- and then make sure to do that.
PHASE TWO:
* Any time an interviewer requests your reference list, you will need to notify each reference that they might be contacted.
* Then, send them information about the job to which you’ve applied. It's preferable to send the actual job posting, but you can also send a description. That enables the reference to talk about your skills and experience relative to the job you’re trying to get.
PHASE THREE:
* When there’s an outcome with your application – that is, you did or did not get the job – let the references know.
* Thank them for their assistance.
* If you weren’t selected for the job and plan to continue seeking employment, ask each person if they’re willing to continue serving as a reference.
QUICK TIP #2: Try to select people who express themselves clearly and with some enthusiasm. If a reference appreciates you, but can't express themselves well, their input may not be helpful.
QUICK TIP #3: Just an FYI that on occasion, a prospective employer will ask the reference to fill out a form or provide a reference letter.
DO I NEED TO INCLUDE MY CURRENT EMPLOYER ON A REFERENCE LIST? DO I NEED TO GIVE THE INTERVIEWER PERMISSION TO CONTACT MY CURRENT EMPLOYER?
The answer to both questions is “no”. Many times, people look for new jobs in secret, without telling their current employer. Because this is so common, an interviewer will understand if you explain that. You can say something like: I really appreciate where I’m working now, and of course, if I get this new job, I'll give my current employer sufficient notice. But at the moment, they don’t know I’m looking for a new job.
All that being said, under some circumstances, you may want your current employer to be a reference. If they know you’re looking for a new job; they feel OK about that; and they value the time you’ve spent with them, then they might be a great reference. Just be cautious! Only use a current employer if you're sure that what they say about you will be good!
STRUCTURE OF A REFERENCE LIST
If you've never done a reference list, here's guidance on how to do it:
* At the top of the page, often centered, put your name and phone/email. You may want to put this in bold.
John Smith
617-872-4128 / jsmith@rsn.net
* Then for each reference, include:
The name of the reference
Their current job title (or former job title, if they're retired)
Name of their company
Location of their company
Preferred phone number
Preferred email address
Your relationship with them
* Thus, each reference listed will look something like this:
Susan Stone
Director of Marketing
The Boston Natural Food Company
Boston, MA
617-604-5555
Ms. Stone was my supervisor when I worked at Boston Natural Foods from 2018 - 2023.
* If the person you're listing has already retired, list the job that they last had, and indicate that they retired. And if they have a preference on how to be contacted, list that as well. The following example contains both elements:
Dr. Mark Phu
Executive Director (retired)
The English Language Institute
Framingham, MA
508-232-6187
Dr. Phu was my supervisor when I taught at The English Language Institute from 2016 - 2018. Please note that he prefers to be contacted by email if possible, but will do his best to be flexible.
QUICK TIP #4: Use the same formatting for your reference list that you used for your resume and cover letter.
QUICK TIP #5: Though some online sites indicate that one should use the full address, including street, of the company where your reference is or was working, many career advisors indicate that including full addresses isn't unnecessary.
QUICK TIP #6: Keep the reference list to one page. If you have to manipulate the lines a bit, that's OK. Just make sure to keep the same formatting for each of the references that you list. For example, here's one way that we can modify the two references above so that they take up fewer lines (see if you can identify the changes):
Susan Stone, Director of Marketing
The Boston Natural Food Company
Boston, MA
617-604-5555
Ms. Stone was my supervisor when I worked at Boston Natural Foods from 2018 - 2023.
Dr. Mark Phu, Executive Director (retired)
The English Language Institute
Framingham, MA
508-232-6187
Dr. Phu was my supervisor when I taught at The English Language Institute from 2016 - 2018. Please note that he prefers to be contacted by email if possible, but will do his best to be flexible.
SOME ONLINE RESOURCES ABOUT REFERENCE LISTS
Note: We don’t endorse every detail that these sites provide (and they may not fully agree with each other on some points). But each of the sites contains a lot of helpful information.
Indeed on Creating a Reference List
Coursera on Listing References
BetterUp Blog on Listing References