On the top of the page, simply put the word “References. ”
Some job ads may request as many as 3-5 references.
Dr. Ruth DeVry (Committee Member). Full Professor. Vanderbilt University. 123 University Drive, Nashville, TN 37235. Phone: 123-456-7890. Email: ruth@vandy. edu.
Before submitting your application and CV, find out if it should be submitted over email, faxed, or sent by snail mail.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?”
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.
