Job references: who to list and how to prepare them
Who to list
Three professional references is the standard. The best is a recent direct supervisor who can speak about your work with examples. Then a teammate, a client, a professor, or an internship coordinator if you are just starting.
Family does not count, and neither does a friend who never worked with you. If you have no work history, a professor, a volunteer supervisor or a community project lead are legitimate references and read far better than an invented contact.
- Full name and current title
- Company or organization
- A phone and email the person actually answers
- How they know you and during what period
- Preferred language for the call
Prepping them is half the work
Ask permission before listing anyone. A reference caught off guard sounds lukewarm even when they think highly of you, and lukewarm reads as doubt. Write to them: tell them which role you are applying for, send the job description, and remind them of two or three concrete things you did together.
After the interview, let them know a call is likely this week. And when the process ends, tell them how it went: people who know how the story ended will be your reference again without hesitating.
On the résumé
Do not put references inside the résumé and do not write "references available upon request": it takes a line and says nothing, because it is assumed. Prepare a separate sheet with the same header as your résumé and hand it over when asked.
Federal hiring is different: USAJOBS and many forms ask for supervisors with phone numbers and whether they may be contacted. There you do include them, and the dates and names have to match what you declared on the federal résumé.
Frequently asked questions
What if I left on bad terms with my last supervisor?
Do not list them as a reference, but do not hide the job from your history either. Pick someone else at that same company who knows your work, and if asked about the departure, answer briefly, without criticizing, and looking forward.
What can a former employer say about me?
Many companies limit the response to dates of employment, title, and rehire eligibility, by internal policy. Others say more. Ask HR what the policy is rather than assuming.
Official sources
MyPRjobs is an independent job discovery platform. MyPRjobs does not process this application. You will be redirected to USAJOBS or the appropriate official website to complete your application.
Who writes this
MyPRjobs is made by one person in Puerto Rico who went through these processes: worked for a private agency, for the Government of Puerto Rico, and for the federal government. The guides are written from the official sources above and corrected when an agency changes a requirement.
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