How to Write a Resume References Section (+ Examples)

A references section is a short list of people an employer can call to confirm what you did and how you worked. Each entry gives a name, job title, organization, your relationship, and contact details.

It almost never belongs on the resume. Texas A&M University's Career Center says non-academic job listings and hiring managers usually want references on a separate document, while an academic CV can carry the list at the end (Texas A&M University Career Center, 2026-02-24). CareerOneStop also treats references as something you supply during the application process, handled separately from the resume (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, undated).

So the space on page one goes to your experience instead.

The real choice is between a separate reference page, the old "References available upon request" line, and a list printed at the end of an academic CV.

If an online application form has a references field, fill it in there. That form is the employer's preferred channel, and skipping it can hold up the file.

Use the Name → Title → Organization → Relationship → Contact block. Five lines, same order for every person, so a recruiter can scan four entries in ten seconds.

Weak

John Smith — former boss — (775) 555-0143

Strong

John Smith Operations Manager, Shipping & Receiving — [Distribution center name], Reno, NV My direct supervisor, June 2021–March 2024; approved my daily pick rates and forklift recertification (775) 555-0143 | j.smith@[company-domain].com Best reached: weekdays after 2 p.m. PT

The strong version tells the caller what this person is qualified to confirm and when to dial, so the reference check happens on the first attempt instead of the third. CareerOneStop describes four kinds of references — employment, professional, academic and personal — and says references from past employers carry the most weight (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, undated), so put your supervisors at the top of the page.

For academic CVs, add the office mailing address. Texas A&M's Career Center lists names, titles, office addresses, phone numbers and email addresses as the expected fields (Texas A&M University Career Center, 2026-02-24).

1. Pick three or four people. Career.io puts the usual minimum at three or four references for a job application (Career.io, undated). Lead with former supervisors. CareerOneStop advises choosing people who honestly know you and will speak objectively, and avoiding family members and close friends (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, undated).
2. Read the job ad and the application form for keywords. Note the words the employer repeats — "inventory accuracy," "IEP compliance," "month-end close" — and pick references who have actually watched you do that work. Check the ad for the number required and for instructions like "two supervisory references." Career.io notes that government applications may expect more, giving six or seven as an example (Career.io, undated).
3. Ask permission early. CareerOneStop's steps for requesting a reference start with getting permission in advance (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, undated), and Texas A&M's Career Center advises asking explicitly and reaching out at least one month before you start a job search so contacts have time to prepare (Texas A&M University Career Center, 2026-02-24). Send the job ad, your current resume, and a two-line reminder of what you worked on together.
4. Build the page. Use the same header as your resume — name, phone, email, city and state — so the employer recognizes it as a related document (Texas A&M University Career Center, 2026-02-24). Same font, same size, 1-inch margins, one page. Title it "References" or "Reference List," then the three or four blocks.
5. Line up reserves. Career.io suggests keeping a few extra references beyond the three or four in case a hiring manager asks for more or someone is unavailable (Career.io, undated).
6. Send it when asked, and warn your references. Indeed recommends providing the list only when an employer requests it (Indeed Career Guide, 2026-05-04). Texas A&M's Career Center advises notifying your references whenever you apply so they are ready for a call (Texas A&M University Career Center, 2026-02-24). A one-paragraph email with the job title and the company name is enough.

Contact details below are placeholders. Swap in real names, real titles and real numbers, and only after the person has said yes.

Nursing — unit manager

Employment reference, medical–surgical RN

Maria Delgado, MSN, RN Nurse Manager, 32-bed Medical–Surgical Unit — [Hospital name], Columbus, OH My direct supervisor since March 2021; signs my annual competencies and reviews my Epic documentation (614) 555-0182 | m.delgado@[hospital-domain].org Best reached: weekdays 8 a.m.–3 p.m. ET

Nursing — clinical instructor

Academic reference, new-graduate RN

Dr. Alice Nwosu, DNP, RN, CNE Clinical Faculty, BSN Program — [University name], Columbus, OH Supervised my 180-hour med-surg clinical rotation and my NCLEX-RN preparation, 2024 (614) 555-0147 | a.nwosu@[university-domain].edu

Software engineering — tech lead

Employment reference, backend engineer

Priya Raman Engineering Manager, Payments Platform — [Company name], Austin, TX My reporting manager, 2022–2025; reviewed my pull requests on a Python and PostgreSQL service handling roughly 40,000 daily transactions (512) 555-0119 | p.raman@[company-domain].com

Software engineering — cross-functional partner

Professional reference, backend engineer

Daniel Okafor Senior Product Manager — [Company name], Austin, TX Partnered with me on three quarterly releases; can speak to how I scoped work, ran incident postmortems and handled on-call rotations (512) 555-0176 | d.okafor@[company-domain].com

K–12 teaching — principal

Employment reference, 4th-grade teacher

Karen Whitfield Principal — [Elementary school name], Boise, ID My evaluating administrator since August 2020; observed my instruction four times per year and reviewed my ELA data (208) 555-0133 | k.whitfield@[district-domain].org

K–12 teaching — mentor teacher

Professional reference, 4th-grade teacher

Luis Caballero Grade 4 Team Lead and Mentor Teacher — [Elementary school name], Boise, ID Co-planned our grade-level curriculum and mentored me through my first two years of Idaho certification (208) 555-0168 | l.caballero@[district-domain].org

Retail — store manager

Employment reference, assistant store manager

Tasha Bell Store Manager — [Retail store name], Charlotte, NC My direct supervisor, 2021–2024; oversaw the 18-person team I scheduled and the weekly shrink audits I ran (704) 555-0190 | t.bell@[company-domain].com Best reached: Tuesday–Thursday mornings ET

Retail — district leader

Professional reference, assistant store manager

Greg Hanlon District Manager, Carolinas — [Retail chain name], Charlotte, NC Reviewed my store's sales and payroll results across 11 locations; can speak to my holiday hiring and visual resets (704) 555-0124 | g.hanlon@[company-domain].com

Warehouse and logistics — shift supervisor

Employment reference, forklift operator

Ana Ruiz Second-Shift Warehouse Supervisor — [Distribution center name], Joliet, IL My supervisor, 2022–2025; signed off my OSHA-compliant sit-down forklift certification and tracked my 140-case-per-hour pick rate (815) 555-0141 | a.ruiz@[company-domain].com

Warehouse and logistics — safety trainer

Professional reference, forklift operator

Marcus Doyle EHS Coordinator — [Distribution center name], Joliet, IL Trained me on lockout/tagout and dock safety; can confirm 3 years with no recordable incidents (815) 555-0157 | m.doyle@[company-domain].com

Administrative support — office manager

Employment reference, executive assistant

Dana Pierce Office Manager — [Firm name], Minneapolis, MN My direct supervisor, 2020–2024; reviewed the travel bookings and expense reports I filed in Concur for 6 directors (612) 555-0112 | d.pierce@[firm-domain].com

Administrative support — the executive you supported

Professional reference, executive assistant

Robert Lindqvist Vice President, Operations — [Firm name], Minneapolis, MN Supported his calendar and board materials for 4 years; can speak to confidentiality and turnaround under deadline (612) 555-0185 | r.lindqvist@[firm-domain].com

Accounting and finance — controller

Employment reference, staff accountant

Angela Moore, CPA Controller — [Company name], Tampa, FL My direct supervisor since 2022; reviewed the 60-plus journal entries I posted each month-end close in NetSuite (813) 555-0170 | a.moore@[company-domain].com

Accounting and finance — external auditor

Professional reference, staff accountant

Kevin Shaw, CPA Audit Senior Manager — [Accounting firm name], Tampa, FL Led our annual audit for three years; can speak to my reconciliations, PBC schedules and documentation (813) 555-0129 | k.shaw@[firm-domain].com

Skilled trades — foreman

Employment reference, electrical apprentice

Ray Novak Job Foreman, Journeyman Electrician (NV license) — [Contractor name], Las Vegas, NV My foreman on two commercial fit-outs, 2023–2025; verified my conduit runs and panel terminations to NEC (702) 555-0163 | r.novak@[contractor-domain].com

Skilled trades — apprenticeship coordinator

Academic reference, electrical apprentice

Sandra Keel Apprenticeship Training Coordinator — [Training center name], Las Vegas, NV Tracked my 6,000 on-the-job hours and classroom units toward journeyman licensure (702) 555-0198 | s.keel@[training-domain].org

Hospitality and food service — executive chef

Employment reference, line cook

Chef Miguel Ferrer Executive Chef — [Restaurant name], New Orleans, LA My supervisor, 2022–2025; ran the 14-seat saute station I worked during 300-cover dinner services (504) 555-0107 | m.ferrer@[restaurant-domain].com Best reached: before 3 p.m. CT

Hospitality and food service — general manager

Professional reference, line cook

Yvette Carrington General Manager — [Restaurant name], New Orleans, LA Oversaw the kitchen's ServSafe compliance and health inspections; can speak to attendance and prep standards (504) 555-0188 | y.carrington@[restaurant-domain].com

Marketing and communications — director

Employment reference, marketing specialist

Haley Brennan Director of Marketing — [Company name], Denver, CO My manager, 2021–2025; approved the email program I ran in HubSpot across a 90,000-address list (303) 555-0150 | h.brennan@[company-domain].com

Marketing and communications — client contact

Professional reference, marketing specialist

Omar Haddad Communications Manager — [Client organization name], Denver, CO Client on a 9-month rebrand; can speak to how I handled briefs, revisions and launch timelines (303) 555-0121 | o.haddad@[client-domain].org

Academia and research — dissertation chair

Reference list entry for a CV, doctoral candidate

Dr. Helen Barstow Professor of Sociology and Dissertation Chair Department of Sociology, [University name], 400 Campus Drive, Room 212, Madison, WI 53706 (608) 555-0144 | h.barstow@[university-domain].edu

Academia and research — co-investigator

Reference list entry for a CV, doctoral candidate

Dr. Samuel Oyelaran Associate Professor and Co-Investigator, [Grant-funded project name] Department of Public Health, [University name], 180 Research Way, Room 505, Madison, WI 53706 (608) 555-0193 | s.oyelaran@[university-domain].edu

• No work experience. You still have three or four people. CareerOneStop lists academic and personal references alongside employment and professional ones (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, undated): instructors, a practicum or clinical supervisor, a volunteer coordinator, a coach, a club adviser, a manager from a summer job. Skip relatives — both CareerOneStop and Texas A&M's Career Center advise against listing family members (CareerOneStop, undated; Texas A&M University Career Center, 2026-02-24). Write the relationship line so it names real output: "Supervised my 120 volunteer hours running the Saturday food pantry line for about 90 households per week."
• Career changer. Mix one recent supervisor who can confirm reliability with one or two people who have seen the skill the new field cares for — a client, a committee chair, a bootcamp instructor, a cross-department partner. Before you send the list, call each person, tell them the job title you are chasing, and name the two things you want them to mention. Pull those two things from the job ad's own wording.
• Senior and executive candidates. Your references stop being only ex-bosses. Board members, investors, major clients, vendors and former direct reports all carry weight, and a former direct report answers the question a search committee will actually ask about how you lead. Keep in touch with contacts from roles that ended years ago, and add their current title rather than the one they held when you worked together. If you are applying for a government post, build a deeper bench: Career.io notes government applications may expect more references, citing six or seven as an example (Career.io, undated), and suggests holding reserve names in any case (Career.io, undated).