You’ll look especially sharp if you include a list of references with your job application. By putting the list on a separate sheet, you can change your references to fit the job you’re applying for. Don’t send letters of recommendation unless the application instructions specify it.

Three is a good number of references. Choose people who can vouch for your journalism skills and job performance. The best references are supervisors from your journalism jobs and internships. If you don’t have three supervisors, then round out the list with a journalism professor or two.

Make sure each person’s name, title, address, phone number and e-mail address are up to date and spelled correctly. If a reference has changed jobs since you worked with him or her, add the person’s former title and workplace in parentheses, so it tracks to your resume.

Never list someone as a reference without asking permission first. (Do you really want the caller to be met with a confused pause or, worse, the irritated response, “He listed me?”?) Beyond that, stay in touch with your references and tell them about the jobs you’re applying for. Let them know why you want a particular job so much and what skills you think you’ll bring to it. The more you coach your references, the better they can promote you when an employer calls.

Remember to put your own contact info at the top of the page, and use the same font and paper that you did for your resume.