Great news! Someone has agreed to be a reference for you! Now, what’s the next step?

Life Working® career coaches suggest preparing a reference page that you can give to a prospective employer. It should match your resume's format, font style, and font size with the same contact information.

Use this format for each reference:

Do companies need your permission before contacting your references? Yes, they should. But keep in mind that providing contact information for references may be construed as permission to contact in many cases. Some companies will require you to sign a release form. Read it carefully, as it may authorize the company to contact unnamed references as well (people not on your “preferred” reference list — sometimes called “back door” references).

Generally, a potential employer will want at least two of your references to be former employers. The advantage of preparing your references in advance is that you can take the upper hand, identify the “best” references, and control whom you offer the employer as your references. You will want to select three to seven individuals to be your “preferred” references.

Reference checks are necessary for both job seekers and employers. References allow employers to confirm the information they learned from your resume and the interview and decide whether to hire you or not to extend a job offer…

“Resumes win interviews, but references win job offers,” says Martin Yate, author of the “Knock ‘Em Dead” series of career books.

Reference checks are necessary for both job seekers and employers. References allow employers to confirm the information they learned from your resume and the interview and decide whether to hire you or not to extend a job offer…