Keep Your References Informed and Up-to-Date

Good reference management etiquette includes keeping your references current on your job search, and their potential participation in it, without becoming a pest. You do not have to alert them every time you give out their names to a prospective employer. However, if you know or believe that they might be contacted, you do need to alert them beforehand. Make sure that you take that opportunity to provide information about the name and position of the person likely to contact them, the organization to which you have applied, the fact that you are very interested in the position, why you think the employer is interested in you, and a précis of the
position and why you fit well with it. This kind of briefing also serves to refresh the reference’s recollection of your initial discussion and energizes him or her to advocate on your behalf.