In most cases, you should not list references on your resume at all. Put them on a separate page with the same header as your resume, and send that page only when an employer asks for it. Include three to five people, each with their name, title, organization, phone number, email address, and how they know you. If a job posting tells you to do something different, follow the posting.
That matches guidance from the University of Cincinnati’s blog and from a Michigan State University Extension career page, which both say to provide references when asked. Southern Arkansas University’s career services office also says to keep them in a separate document and to list three to five. The sections below cover how to apply that, including the awkward cases.
Where references go, depending on what the employer asked for
| What the application says | What to do |
|---|---|
| Nothing about references | Leave them off. Have the page ready to send. |
| “Include references with your application” | Upload your reference page as a separate file, or combine it after the resume if only one upload is allowed. |
| “List references on your resume” | Follow the instruction. Add a short References section as the last item on the resume. |
| The online form has reference fields | Complete them, using the same details as your page. Check whether the form says references will be contacted right away, and warn them first if so. |
| The number is specified | Give that number. If none is given, Michigan State says three is usually appropriate, and it treats five as the upper limit. |
You can also delete “References available on request.” The University of Cincinnati notes that employers already know they can ask, so the space is better used elsewhere.
A reference page template you can copy
Match the font and heading to your resume, so the page still identifies you if it gets separated from the other documents. Michigan State also suggests listing your strongest reference first. The names and details here are fictional.
Jordan Rivera
Denver, CO | (555) 010-0142 | jordan.rivera@example.comProfessional References
Sam Patel
Operations Manager, Northline Logistics
(555) 010-0178 | sam.patel@example.com
Relationship: Direct supervisor, 2023 to 2026Dr. Morgan Lee
Associate Professor of Business, Larkfield College
(555) 010-0119 | mlee@example.com
Relationship: Capstone project advisor, 2022Casey Nguyen
Account Lead, Northline Logistics
(555) 010-0163 | casey.nguyen@example.com
Relationship: Project teammate, 2024 to 2026
The relationship line does more work than it seems to. It tells a hiring manager, at a glance, what each person can actually speak to. Michigan State and Cincinnati both ask for it.
If an employer wants references on the resume itself
Use a compact format, with the number the employer asks for. Two are shown here to save space:
References
Sam Patel, Operations Manager, Northline Logistics. Direct supervisor. (555) 010-0178, sam.patel@example.com
Dr. Morgan Lee, Associate Professor, Larkfield College. Project advisor. (555) 010-0119, mlee@example.com
Do this only when asked. Your references’ personal contact details will travel everywhere your resume does, which is one more reason to keep them on a separate page by default.
Who to choose, in order
- A recent direct supervisor. Usually the most useful, since this person has seen your work and how you take direction.
- A senior colleague or client who has seen results from your work.
- A teammate who can describe what you are like to work with. Useful as a third, but rarely the strongest choice on its own.
Michigan State and Southern Arkansas both say to leave out family; Southern Arkansas specifies immediate family. Southern Arkansas also suggests mentors, professors, and advisors, which helps if you are early in your career.
If you do not have a work history yet
Use anyone who has watched you do something that resembles work: an instructor who graded a long project, a volunteer coordinator, a coach, or the person you did paid babysitting or yard work for. The question is not how impressive their title is. It is whether they can describe something specific that you did. Our guide to writing a resume with no experience uses the same principle.
If you cannot use your current boss
Use a previous supervisor, or a colleague at your current job whom you trust to be discreet, and be ready to explain simply: “My manager doesn’t know I’m looking, so I’ve provided my previous supervisor instead.”
If an old manager has left or cannot be found
Try to find them through LinkedIn or a former coworker. If that fails, use a coworker who overlapped with you, and state the relationship accurately. Do not list someone as a “supervisor” if they were not.
Set up each reference before you list them
All three sources say to ask first, and a reference who is caught by surprise may not give you their best answer. Michigan State adds two helpful steps: confirm the person’s current job title and preferred contact method, and give them your resume and the job description.
Here is a message you can adapt:
“Hi Sam, I’m applying for a warehouse supervisor role at Tolland Supply, and I’d like to list you as a reference if you’re comfortable with that. You saw my work on the 2025 inventory changeover, which is the experience they care about most. I’ve attached the posting and my resume. Would you be willing? If so, is this still the best email and phone number? No problem at all if the timing doesn’t work.”
Our guide to asking for a job reference covers this conversation in more depth.
A last check before you send it
- Every person has agreed, recently, to act as a reference for this kind of role.
- Every title, employer, phone number, and email is current.
- The relationship line is accurate, with dates where they help.
- The header matches your resume and includes your own contact details.
- You have told your references to expect a call, along with the company and job title.
- The file name is clear, such as Jordan-Rivera-References.pdf.
After a reference has spoken with an employer, send a short thank-you and let them know how the process turned out. You may need them again, and it is a courtesy they will remember.
For the rest of the document, see how to write a resume. If you want to choose evidence that fits a specific posting, try the application evidence builder.