A reference is someone who an employer can contact by phone or email to verify and vet your job, internship, or scholarship qualifications. A reference can make or break your job application process. It is important to seek and list references who will speak positively about you!
Three Types of References
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Professional Reference: A former employer, internship supervisor, or work colleague who can speak to your employment potential and recommend you. This is the most commonly used type of reference.
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Academic Reference: A faculty mentor, professor, advisor, preceptor, research supervisor, etc. who can speak to your academic strengths. This type of reference is commonly used for study abroad, national student exchange, scholarship, fellowship, graduate and professional school, internships, etc.
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Personal Reference: An individual in your personal network you have known a long time such as a co-worker, friend, church leader, peer, or teammate who can speak to who you are outside of work.
General Guidelines
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Include 3-4 references unless otherwise instructed
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Update your reference about your life, job search, graduate/professional school application, etc.
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Ask permission before you list someone as a reference
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Confirm your references' contact information (job title, company, city, state, phone, email)
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Ask permission before including a reference's personal cell or email
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Format
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DO NOT add "References Available Upon Request" to your résumé - it is outdated
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DO NOT include reference information in your résumé - a reference page is a separate document
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The letterhead on your reference page and résumé should match
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List your strongest reference first
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Include detail about your references' phone number to provide guidance to the hiring team
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Including "state" alerts the hiring committee to the reference's time zone
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Including guide words like "Cell", "Office", or "Home" phone steers the detail of a message a hiring official might leave
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