How to Include References in a CV

Including Reference Information

Include your references on the last page of your CV. Unlike other sections of your CV which will span multiple pages, the references section should only cover—at the most—1 full page. Regardless of how much you may feel a personal attachment to the people writing your references or may want to highlight their presence in your CV, make sure that the references are located on the last page. On the top of the page, simply put the word “References.”

List the names of 2 references in alphabetical order. Most CVs in academic, scientific, or medical fields will include 2 references. Of course, if the job advertisement asks for a different number of references, customize your CV to include the requested number. Some job ads may request as many as 3-5 references.

Include each reference’s title and contact information. Also state the nature of your relationship with the person writing the reference. The people reading the “References” section of your CV shouldn’t be left with any questions about who your references are, how they know you, and how they can be contacted. So that the references can be easily reached, include their work email address, work phone number, and work address. A sample reference entry will look something like: Dr. Ruth DeVry (Committee Member). Full Professor. Vanderbilt University. 123 University Drive, Nashville, TN 37235. Phone: 123-456-7890. Email: [email protected].

Place your references in a separate document if the job ad asks for it. Some job advertisements will ask for a “CV and a List of References.” In this case, they’re expecting 2 separate documents. So, list your 2 references on a separate sheet of paper or in a separate word-processing file that isn’t part of your main CV. Before submitting your application and CV, find out if it should be submitted over email, faxed, or sent by snail mail.

Deciding When to Omit References

Leave your references off if your CV needs to be kept short. Some job ads may specify a maximum CV length—e.g., 3 pages. If your references section makes your CV too long, leave off the references. It’s more important to develop the other parts of your CV (education, work history, publications, etc.) than to short-change them for the sake of your references section. On the other hand, if you have a short CV and would like to pad it with a generous references section, you may wish to include 6 or 7 references!

Omit references if you want to customize each CV you send out. In some cases—e.g., if you’re sending out a CV to different types of job postings—you may want to leave off your references so you can customize the references for each application. In this case, withhold references (rather than providing a generic CV with potentially irrelevant references) until you’re asked to provide them. For example, say that you’re using your CV to apply to 2 different places: a high-school chemistry teaching job and a chemistry PhD program. You’d be wise to leave references off of the CVs that you submit, since you’d most likely want different references for the 2 positions. In the first example, you’d include references that can speak to your strengths at a teacher, while in the second example, you’d want references that can speak to your academic abilities.

Include the phrase “references available” if you’ve omitted references. You don’t want your future employers to think that you’re unwilling to provide them with a list of references. Indicate your willingness to provide references by typing “references available” or “references available upon request” as the last line on your CV if you've decided to omit a references section. This way, the people reading your CV can reach out to you for references if and when they decide to seriously consider you for the position.

Choosing the Right References

Reach out to individuals who can vouch for your professional abilities. Unless the job application specifically asks for “character references,” the people you ask to be your references should be professional colleagues, mentors, or supervisors. Make a phone call or send an email to, for example, graduate-school professors, science-lab supervisors, or medical instructors. Avoid reaching out to people you know only on a personal level. For example, don’t contact your friends, extended family, or someone you may have volunteered with at a charitable organization.

Contact your current employer if you have a good relationship. They can be a great reference, since they’ll be able to speak directly to your workplace experiences, ambition, talent, and skills. If you and your employer get along and work well together, reach out and ask if they’d be willing to be listed as a reference on your CV. If you don’t get along well with your employer or are worried that they may fire you, though, it’s best not to list them. You may not want to list your current employer on the CV if they don’t know that you’re looking for a new job. Whoever you send the CV to will end up contacting your current or most recent employer in almost all cases.

Ask if the individuals would be willing to serve as references. It’s best to get a direct affirmative answer before using someone’s name on your CV. If you don’t confirm with your references before putting their names on your CV, they may be unpleasantly surprised by the hiring company’s inquiry. Worse, they may even give you a bad reference. When you call or email your potential references, say something like, “Hi Dr. Bing, I’m planning on sending out my CV to half a dozen potential employers this fall. I’d appreciate it if I could put your name down under my references list. Would that be alright with you?”

Ask your past employers if they’re willing to be references. Unless you’re applying for a job in a field that’s completely different from your last paid position, you should think about using 1 or 2 of the people who supervised you at your most 2-3 recent jobs as references (as long as you left the position on good terms with your co-workers). They’ll be able to speak to your professionalism and abilities as an employee. If your employer or supervisor is not willing to be used as a reference, it could create difficulties for you down the road. At the very least, during an interview, be prepared to offer a concise explanation of why your employer wouldn’t agree to provide a reference.