Your employment references need to grasp the importance of their role in your job search and need to be prepared to respond to your potential employer’s outreach. The more thoughtful, prepared, and responsive your reference, the better the reference will be. As a former employee, it is beneficial to keep in touch with your potential references and update them on what you’ve been up to recently. Ensure that your references are okay with providing their name and email to any of your potential employers. Having a variety of references is also beneficial.