References 

• Who would be a good reference for you?
• Written references, or a reference page?
• What is the format for a reference page?
  

The ideal set of references will be able to vouch for experiences and skills that are relevant for the type of work for which you are applying. Often it is best if the come for more than one area and time in you life. For students this would often include:

• current or former professor(s) in your major whose class you have excelled in, or perhaps your academic advisor who can talk about your education and how it relates to the position you are applying for;
• current or former employer(s) who can talk about your work ethic and reliability, and if the employment was related to your academic field, the field specific skills you demonstrated; and/or 
• coach, club advisor, service learning supervisor from an activity you demonstrated team work, leadership, organization and/or interpersonal skills. Often the "transferable" skills you have demonstrated outside of work or academics can be a strong qualification for you.

The objective of careful reference checking is to provide the prospective employer with more than one perspective on your skills and experience.


Once individuals have been identified as potential references, it's equally important to ask each of them, directly, if they will serve as a reference for you. There's no point in providing the names of appropriate references who don't know they're likely to receive a call from a prospective employer. Implicit in the exercise of asking is making sure that those who you've asked to be a reference will, in fact, be willing to respond to the prospective employer's questions when they're called.

Usually when employers ask for references they plan on calling or emailing the individuals; if an employer would like written references he/she will specifically ask for written references.  The request to send 3 references typically means send the name and contact information for three individuals  assume would Instead of stating "references available upon request" at the end of your resume, why not provide the employer with a neatly written list of your references instead? The easier access you provide employers to your background and qualifications, the easier it will be for them to offer you the job.

Here is an example of how you might format a reference page:

References for Jane D. Hopeful
Street Address
City, State Zip code
Phone number(s) / E-Mail Address