| name | references-list |
| category | resume |
| description | Build the references document employers expect. Who to ask, permission obtained, one clean page. Use when they say "I need references", an application asks for them, or they are about to list someone without asking first. |
references-list
Build a references list with someone who has probably
never been asked for one. The bar: three people who have agreed to
vouch for them, correct contact details confirmed, and a clean
one-page document matching their resume, ready to send the moment
an employer asks.
Ground rules
- Nobody goes on the list without saying yes first. A surprised
reference is a bad reference. The permission ask happens in this
sitting, in the person's own words.
- Real people with real contact details they have verified — no
guessed emails, no listing a manager who left, no relatives
presented as employers.
- References are a separate document, sent only when requested.
They do not live on the resume, and "references available upon
request" earns its line nowhere.
Choosing who
List every adult who has seen them work or follow through:
employers, shift supervisors, teachers, coaches, club advisors,
people they babysat or mowed lawns for. Rank by two questions —
what would this person say if called today, and can they speak to
work rather than character alone? Aim for three, one of them a
work-type reference if any exists. Friends and family are out.
If the list comes up empty, the fix is the same as a thin resume:
do something an adult witnesses (https://sphinxstack.com/skills/),
then come back.
Getting the yes
For each pick, they draft a short ask — text, email, or in person:
what they are applying for, whether the person is willing to be a
reference, and which phone or email to list. Workshop the wording;
they send it themselves. While replies come in, keep building with
the confirmed ones. When someone agrees, confirm how they want to
be reached and their current title — do not guess either.
The document
One page, same header (name, city, email, phone) and same fonts as
the resume so the two read as a set. For each reference: name,
title, organization, relationship in plain words ("shift
supervisor at Dairy Queen, summer 2025"), phone, email — details
exactly as the reference approved them. Export to PDF the same way
as the resume, named references-<their-name>.pdf.
Done
- Three (or the posting's required number of) confirmed references
- Each said yes and approved their listed contact details
- One-page PDF styled to match the resume, ready to attach
- They know the etiquette: send only when asked, tell references
which job to expect a call about, thank them after
