How to Format a Reference List
The reference sheet as its own document: what each entry contains, the relationship line most people omit, and how to name and send the file.
Kazifi Careers Team · Careers & ATS specialists
A reference sheet is a separate document you send when asked. It is short, it has a fixed shape, and one element that most people leave out does most of the work.
The complete template
Adaeze Okonkwo Denver, CO · (555) 014-2287 · adaeze.okonkwo@example.com
REFERENCES
Bruno Salvatierra Divisional Director, Halstead Foods My line manager, March 2021 to June 2024 (555) 014-9902 · bruno.salvatierra@example.com
Priya Raghunathan Head of Procurement, Kestrel Grocery Worked together on the supplier consolidation as her counterpart, 2023 (555) 014-7781 · priya.r@example.com
Dr Colm Ferriter Operations Director, Vance Foods My manager in an earlier role, September 2017 to March 2021 (555) 014-3355 · c.ferriter@example.com
Note the header. It matches your resume exactly, so the two documents look like a set and your name appears on both.
The relationship line
The element people omit, and the one that improves the reference most.
My line manager, March 2021 to June 2024
It does two things. It tells the employer what this person can actually speak to, so they ask the right questions. And it saves the referee from opening with an explanation of who they are, which is the least useful part of any reference call.
Be specific about the relationship: line manager, skip-level manager, project lead, counterpart at a client, supervisor during a placement. “Colleague” is too vague to be useful.
Order them deliberately
Put your strongest and most relevant first, since the employer may only call two.
Usually that means the most recent direct manager, then the person who can speak to the work most relevant to this role, then a third from a different context.
If one referee can only confirm dates and titles because of employer policy, list four so the employer still gets three substantive conversations, and note the constraint. See resume reference tips.
Contact details
One phone number and one email each, and make sure both are current.
The most common failure with reference lists is a work email at a company the person has since left. Check before you send, every time. Personal email addresses are more durable and referees generally prefer them for this.
Include a country code if either of you is outside the US, and note a time zone if it is materially different:
(+44) 20 7946 0102 · UK time · j.mercier@example.com
Small courtesy, and it prevents a missed call becoming a delayed process.
Formatting
One page. Three or four entries with white space between them.
Same font and header as your resume, at the same sizes. See the resume header guide.
Plain and single column. No decoration, no columns, no tables. This document is often forwarded internally.
Name it clearly: References-Okonkwo.pdf.
Export as a PDF, using the application’s own route, which Microsoft documents for saving or converting to PDF. Export rather than printing to an image, so the file keeps a real text layer and can be read by assistive technology, which is the point Section508.gov makes about accessible PDFs.
When to send it
When asked, and not before.
Do not attach it to an application, do not include it with your resume, and do not offer it in a first interview. It is requested at or near offer stage, and providing it early is the equivalent of answering a question nobody asked. See references on a resume.
When you do send it, tell your referees the same day: who will call, and roughly when. An expected call produces a much better reference than a surprise one.
Two variations
A reference list with permission notes. If a referee has asked to be contacted only by email, or only after hours, put it in one short line. Employers respect it and it prevents an awkward first attempt.
Prefers email contact in the first instance.
A current-employer caveat. If your current manager is on the list but should not be approached yet, say so on the document rather than only in conversation.
Please contact only after an offer has been made.
Both are normal and neither weakens your position.
The academic exception
Academic CVs conventionally include named referees with contact details in the document itself rather than on a separate sheet, and sometimes require letters rather than calls. Follow the field’s convention. See the CV format guide.
A short check
- Header matches your resume.
- Every entry has a relationship line with dates.
- Every email and phone number verified as current.
- Strongest referee first.
- Exported as a text-layer PDF, named plainly.
- Referees told when a call is coming.
Related
For whether they belong on the resume, see references on a resume. For managing the process, see resume reference tips. For asking in the first place, see how to ask for a reference.
Or build the matching resume at Kazifi.
Common questions
How do I format a reference list?
As a separate one-page document matching your resume's header and font. For each referee: name, title, employer, your relationship with dates, then phone and email.
What information should a reference list include?
Name, current job title, current employer, how you worked together and over what period, a phone number and an email address. The relationship line is the part most people omit.
How many references should be on the list?
Three is standard. Four if one of them can only confirm dates and titles due to employer policy, so the employer still gets three substantive conversations.
Should the reference list match my resume?
Yes. Use the same header, font and layout so the two documents read as a set. It takes two minutes and it is noticeable when it is missing.