We all become forgetful as we age, but we still want others to give us a good job reference. If you give potential references a short list of accomplishments and talking points, you'll make their job easier.


Over at Careerealism, they've got some suggestions for preparing someone to give you a reference. That person might need some coaching to remember who you are or what you did:

Provide your references with a copy of your resume, the job announcement, and your written letter of reference. If you provide them with this information they will be better prepared to provide all of the appropriate information and give more thought to how they can best help you. Your references might even come up with more pertinent information than you gave them.


Depending on the reference, I'd suggest not overwhelming them with too much information. A quick list highlighting your accomplishments on the job might be enough. As someone who does reference checks, the worst thing an employer hears during a reference check is "I don't really remember that person."

Hit the link for some other suggestions on giving great references to a potential employer.

6 Steps To Asking For a Reference | Careerealism

Photo by Mark Turnauckas .