References on CV: do you need them, and how to list them

No, not on a standard UK CV. Acas, the UK's workplace advice service, says it's best for employers to ask for references at the final stage of recruitment, when they make a job offer. Before contacting your current employer, the recruiting employer should have made you a conditional offer and have your permission.

So a recruiter reading your CV doesn't need your referees yet. What they need is evidence that you can do the job: your experience, your results, your skills. That is where the space on your CV should go.

There are a few cases where listing them makes sense:

• The job advert asks for them, on the CV or with the application. Follow the instructions to the letter.
• A speculative application to a small business that won't send you a form: a short references section can save a step.
• A referee who carries weight in that field, such as a well-known head chef for a kitchen job, and who has agreed to be named.
• Very short CVs for a first part-time job, where a teacher or volunteer coordinator can vouch for your reliability.

Even then, the National Careers Service is clear that you should not put someone else's contact details on your CV. A CV gets forwarded, uploaded to job sites and stored in databases. Unless the employer asks for the details and your referee agrees, give names later.

You can. The National Careers Service suggests it as the alternative to listing contact details. Prospects adds that most employers assume it anyway, so if you're stuck for space, leave it out.

A simple rule: if your CV fits comfortably on its pages, one line at the end does no harm. If it pushes you onto a third page or squeezes out a result, delete it. Nobody will reject you for a missing “available on request”.

A referee is the person who gives the reference. Acas describes two kinds of reference, and employers usually ask for one or both:

In order of preference, pick:

1. Your current or most recent line manager, once you're ready for them to know you're leaving.
2. A previous manager from a job close to the one you want.
3. A tutor, teacher or placement supervisor if you're a student or graduate.
4. A volunteer coordinator, coach or employer from a Saturday job if you have little work history.

Avoid family and friends unless the employer asks for a personal reference and accepts them. A character reference from someone you've volunteered with or worked for informally is stronger. If a referee is happy to write one, our character reference template gives them a structure.

If the advert asks for references on your CV, put them in a short section at the very end, after education and any interests, under a plain heading: “References”. For each referee, give:

• Full name, with a title only if they use one professionally (Dr, Professor).
• Job title and organisation.
• Work email and phone number: the ones they asked you to use.
• How they know you: “Line manager, 2023 to 2026”, “Personal tutor, BSc Business”.

Two lines per referee is enough. Keep the same font and size as the rest of the CV, and don't add a photo, a home address or a personal mobile your referee hasn't given you.

1. Ask before you name them, by email or in person, and give them an easy way to say no.
2. Tell them what you're applying for: the job title, the employer, and the advert if you have it.
3. Remind them what you did: two or three things you achieved together, so their reference has specifics.
4. Check the details they want you to use (work email, direct line) and whether their employer only gives basic references.
5. Warn them when a request is coming, usually after an offer, and thank them afterwards, whatever the outcome.

In the UK, an employer doesn't have to give a reference by law, except where they've agreed to in writing (in your contract, for example), for some regulated financial services roles, or as part of a settlement agreement. When they do give one, Acas says it must be accurate and fair: no misleading statements, no irrelevant personal information, and nothing that reveals a protected characteristic such as a disability, or absences linked to it, maternity or paternity leave.

That's one more reason to choose referees who know your recent work. A reference with real examples helps; a vague one from someone who barely remembers you doesn't.

The space you save works harder as evidence. A recruiter trusts a result they can check at interview more than a promise that someone will vouch for you:

• Results with figures in your work history: “Cut till queues at peak times by opening a second click-and-collect point”.
• Who you worked with or reported to: “Reported to the regional operations manager”, “Supported a team of 12 nurses”.
• Recognition: employee of the month, a promotion, a prize, a distinction.
• A sharper personal statement and skills section matched to the advert.

The Kandiq CV builder doesn't ask for referees: its steps are your contact details, experience, education, skills and summary. The experience step asks for one action and its result per bullet, which is where the proof a reference would give belongs.

Before you send your CV, the AI CV checker flags a date of birth or a nationality left on your CV: under the Equality Act, they don't belong on a UK CV. When an employer does ask for references, give them in their application form or by email, with your referees' agreement.