Tips/advice for maintaining references

[bulliciosa]

How often do you keep in contact with people you list as references?

Is it bad form to go long stretches of time (i.e. a few months to a year) without talking to the person, yet still listing them as a reference?

Any tips for choosing, and maintaining, references?

Comments

[months]

Personally I think it's bad form to put anyone down as a reference for any job without discussing it with them first. It's courteous to ask. I know people who have been very pissed off by not being asked first. So I wouldn't list anyone without talking to them about it.

[bulliciosa]

If you've gone a fairly long time without talking to them (for whatever reason), do you have any advice on how to approach them? I feel awkward because I worry about it coming off as I only contact them when I need something.

[months]

If they are fairly senior they probably don't expect to hear from ex-staff members all the time as there will be many. I would send an email or call (depending on what the person is likely to prefer), gently remind them who you are, ask if it's okay to put them down as a reference and offer to send them the job spec and your up to date resume.

[bulliciosa]

Excellent.

Thanks for the advice; we'll see how it goes. ;)

[buwicked5]

Definitely ask all the people you want to use as a reference first, so that a) they know you're looking and expect the call, b) you can talk about specific things to refresh their memory and to make sure that they get across the things you want to get across to the potential employer, and c) they have the opportunity to turn you down (they may not give as good a reference as you'd thought they were going to).

I keep in touch with an old professor via Facebook. My other references are people I see on a regular basis b/c it's my current boss and another employee. If you haven't already started looking/applying for jobs, shoot the person an e-mail to re-establish contact. Then broach the subject of serving as a reference.

[bulliciosa]

Thanks for the feedback; I appreciate it.

[orangejoy]

I try to keep in contact at least a couple times a year. A simple e-mail summarizing some projects I've been working on seems to get the point across. Or, if I've written a story I'm particularly happy about, I'll send it over to my references.

If I get stuck and need someone I haven't kept up with, I follow what the other comments have already suggested.

Good luck!

[bulliciosa]

Thanks; this was more along the lines of what I was looking for. ;)

[misslynn]

I feel like people might be missing your point -- I would assume you already asked these people to be your references ages ago! :)

I have a couple editors from my first job who are still on my potential references list, and I try to check in with them a few times a year, and definitely if I've been applying to a bunch of jobs. (I did that recently, even though nothing came of it.)

[bulliciosa]

I feel like people might be missing your point -- I would assume you already asked these people to be your references ages ago! :)

Yeah, these are people who I used to get my first job a few years ago. ;) However, any advice is always useful.

I just feel like a schmuck for popping up out of the blue and being like, "Hey, I haven't talked to you in a year or so and could really use your help now!" You know?

[misslynn]

I understand, which is why I try (best I can) to say hi once or twice a year absent of "hey! could you help?" requests.

[buwicked5]

Every time I do a job search, I double check with previous references to see if they are still willing to serve as a reference. So my advice still stands.