I get many requests to provide examples of employment references. There are 2 primary ways to provide references to prospective employers – employment reference lists and reference letters.
Employment Reference Lists
An employment reference list is a page that lists the names and the contact information of the people you’ve chosen to serve as your references. If possible, utilize the same heading for your cover letter, resume, and reference sheet. Contact your references prior to listing them and ask them if they are willing to be a reference and how they would prefer to be contacted. See References in a Resume for guidance on how to prepare this page.
Example:
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Name Street Address * City, State Zip * Telephone * email address · REFERENCES · Mr. John Doe Mr. John Doe, Ph.D Ms. Jane Doe Ms. Jane Doe |
Reference Letters
A reference letter is a short correspondence written by people you’ve selected to serve as your references. It describes your contributions and value to the company. Typically, this letter is prepared on the person’s letterhead stationary.
Example:
[LETTERHEAD STATIONARY]To whom it may concern: I would like to recommend Jane Doe for a position with your organization. Jane has been employed by our company from 2001 to 2006. During her employment with our company as Office Manager, Jane was responsible for all activities associated with efficient office operations including bookkeeping, collections, purchasing, clerical tasks, and training/supervising three office assistants. Jane is extremely organized, possesses excellent written and verbal communication skills, and works productively without direct supervision. I believe Jane Doe would make a valuable asset to any employer and I am happy to happy to recommend her without reservation. Yours truly, John Doe |
Please contact me today to order a detailed critique of your resume, cover letter and reference list.