COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING REFERENCES

1. How many references do I need?

Three to six references are needed. Type and print on the same quality paper as your resume. List the names, titles, addresses, preferred telephone numbers and relationship of the people who have agreed to serve as references. Include your contact information at the top for potential employers or graduate school officials.

2. Do I have to ask people to be references before I include them on my reference list?

Absolutely. Always ask people to be a reference before you include their names on your reference list. You cannot know if they feel comfortable in recommending you and if they will have complimentary comments.

3. Who do I ask to be a reference?

You should ask professors, university administrators, your advisor or supervisor, or anyone who knows you well and can comment on your personal qualities, abilities, talents, skills, and/or accomplishments.

4. Should all of my references be professors?

No. Ask individuals who know you in different ways to be references. Ask professors as well as a supervisor or someone who can comment on your performance in a work setting.

5. Should I provide my references with any additional information?

Yes. Take a few minutes to review some of your specific accomplishments with references and supply them with copies of your resume. If you interview with a potential employer or a graduate school official, call your references and tell them about the interview. Inform them they may be contacted and asked to comment on your skills, abilities, and accomplishments. If you ask your references to write letters of recommendation, provide each reference with the appropriate recommendation form, along with an addressed and stamped return envelope.

6. If I want a reference to write me a letter of recommendation, how much time do I need to give him or her?

The more time given a person to write you a letter of recommendation the better. It is a genuine labor for busy professionals to write recommendations, especially when asked to do so by a multitude of students. It is preferable to allow three to six weeks for references to write a letter of recommendation. Make sure your references know when the letter is due. It is your responsibility to check with your references to ensure the letter of recommendation has been written and mailed.

7. Do I need to follow-up with my references?

Yes. Always write your references thank-you notes expressing your appreciation. Stay in touch after you have gotten a job or been accepted to graduate school. You never know when you will need their support again. Try sending seasonal greetings, birthday cards, short notes, or postcards.