Free Reference List Templates

Reference list means two different things, depending on whether you’re applying for a job or writing an essay. For a job, it’s a page listing the people who’ll vouch for you to an employer. For academic work, it’s the list of sources you cited, formatted to a set style such as APA. The free templates below cover both, in editable MS Word format — the job reference pages first, then the academic reference list further down.

Job References: What a Reference List Is

A job reference list is a separate page — not part of your resume — naming three to five people who can speak to your work, with the details an employer needs to contact them. You usually send it when asked, typically after an interview when the employer is close to an offer.

For each referee, include:

• Full name
• Job title and organization — their current ones, not what they were when you worked together
• Relationship to you — “former line manager, 2021–2024” tells an employer how to weigh what they hear
• Phone number and email address

That’s all. Don’t include a referee’s home address unless specifically asked, and never anything personal or financial about them. Head the page with your own name and contact details in the same style as your resume, so the two documents read as a set.

On the resume itself, you no longer need “references available on request” — employers assume it, and the line takes space that could hold something useful.

Job Reference List Example

Three things this does well. The referees are in order of relevance — most recent manager first. Each relationship line tells the employer what that person can actually speak to. And the header matches the resume, so the page is clearly part of the same application.

Ask First, Then Brief Them

The most common way a strong reference becomes a hesitant one is a referee who didn’t know they’d been listed. A surprise phone call from an employer they’ve never heard of, about a role they know nothing about, gets a cautious, general answer — which reads to an employer as faint praise.

So before listing anyone:

• Ask their permission, every time, even for someone who has given you a reference before.
• Tell them what you’ve applied for and send them the job description and your current resume.
• Suggest what’s worth mentioning — “the rollout project would be the most relevant thing” is a perfectly reasonable thing to say to a former manager.
• Warn them when a call is likely, typically after a final interview.
• Tell them the outcome, and thank them regardless of it. They’re far more willing to do it again.

Choosing Referees

• Recent managers first. A manager from your last role carries the most weight, because they’ve seen your work most recently and most directly.
• Colleagues and clients next — particularly ones who saw you on something relevant to the new role.
• Tutors or lecturers if you’re a recent graduate with limited work history.
• Character references — a volunteer coordinator, a coach — where you’re early in your career or returning to work.
• Not family, and not friends presented as professional referees. Employers can usually tell, and it undermines the rest of the list.

If you’re worried about a current employer finding out you’re looking, it’s normal to say so and to ask that they not be contacted until an offer is made. Most employers respect that.

Free Job Reference List Templates

Each template below is editable in Word — add your header in the same style as your resume, then fill in your referees.

 

Professional Reference List Template

A clean one-page layout with your header at the top and three referee blocks — name, title, organization, relationship, and contact details.

 

Reference List for Resume Template

Designed to match a resume header, so the reference page reads as part of the same application.

 

Minimal Modern References List Template

A simple contemporary design with generous spacing — suits creative and design roles where the presentation of the application is noticed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building the rest of the application? Our resume templates share the same header styles, and an experience certificate from a former employer can support what your referees say.

Academic References: APA Reference Lists

In academic writing, a reference list is the full record of every source cited in the text, formatted so a reader can find each one. APA style — used widely in psychology, education, business, and the social sciences — calls it a reference list; MLA style calls the equivalent Works Cited, covered on our MLA format page.

The main APA 7 rules:

• Title the page “References”, centred and in bold, at the top of a new page after the main text.
• Alphabetical order by the first author’s surname. Works with no author are alphabetized by the first significant word of the title.
• Hanging indent of 0.5 inch — the first line of each entry sits at the margin, and subsequent lines are indented. In Word: Paragraph ? Indentation ? Special ? Hanging.
• Double-spaced throughout, with no extra space between entries.
• Authors as surname and initials: Nair, P. R. Up to twenty authors are listed; use an ampersand (&) before the last.
• Year in brackets after the authors.
• Italicize the title of the standalone work — the book, the journal name and volume — and capitalize only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns in book and article titles.
• Include a DOI as a URL where one exists: https://doi.org/…
• Every in-text citation must appear in the list, and every entry must be cited in the text. The most common error is a source in one and not the other.

APA Reference List Example

Notice the four source types: a journal article with a DOI, a book, a chapter in an edited book, and an organizational report with an organization as author. Those four cover most of what students cite. Notice too the hanging indent and the sentence-case titles — the two formatting details most often marked down.

APA Reference List Template

A pre-formatted page with the References heading, double spacing, and hanging indents already set — type or paste your entries and they fall into the correct layout.

File Type: MS Word (ZIP File)   File Size: — KB
Download APA Reference List Template

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a reference list for a job?

A separate page naming three to five people who can vouch for your work, with each person’s name, job title, organization, relationship to you, phone number, and email. You send it when an employer asks, usually late in the process.

Should references go on my resume?

No — keep them on a separate page and send it when requested. You also no longer need “references available on request” on the resume; employers assume it.

How many references should I list?

Three is standard, and enough for most roles. Some employers ask for more, particularly for senior or regulated positions; follow whatever the application specifies.

Do I need permission to list someone as a reference?

Yes, always. Ask first, then send them the job description and your resume so they can speak to the role. A referee who’s caught off guard gives a vaguer answer than one who was prepared.

What should I not put on a reference list?

Anything beyond professional contact details. No home addresses unless requested, and nothing personal or financial about your referees. Their name, title, organization, relationship to you, phone, and email are enough.

What is the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

In APA style, a reference list includes only the sources you actually cited in the text. A bibliography may also include works you consulted but didn’t cite. Check which your assignment asks for.

How do I make a hanging indent in Word?

Select your reference entries, open Paragraph settings, and under Indentation set Special to “Hanging” with a value of 0.5 inch. Each entry’s first line then sits at the margin, with following lines indented beneath it.

What is the difference between APA and MLA references?

APA calls the list “References” and places the year immediately after the author; MLA calls it “Works Cited” and places the date later in the entry. Both use hanging indents and alphabetical order. Our MLA format page covers Works Cited in full.