Job Referrals: Ask, Seek, Knock! Then...

Anyone looking for a new job, and a good new job at that, may relate to the mindset I had prior to getting my current job... for a great job or to work at a great place, you either had to have a well known reputation in the industry or be really lucky. So how did I get a job that I considered to be too good? I wouldn't say I'm established enough to have a reputation nor am I usually the lucky type. Then what? We oftentimes seem to forget that there's actually another substantive help method - have connections. This is the backdoor shortcut to getting recognized as a qualified candidate: a referral.

The art of job hunting heavily involves 'visibility' before you're given a chance to present who you are and what you can contribute. There's a popular phrase that we hear every now and then: "time is of the essence." This applies no differently to the job market. From an employer's end, the sooner a job posting is approved and visible usually correlates with how soon they will be able to find someone suitable and get a position filled. For someone searching for a job, the sooner his or her application gets looked at, the sooner they'll have a chance of landing a job. Let's focus on the job candidate's end for this article, since that is the realm I can share about. How does a candidate get 'visibility'?

The main method of visibility in the modern job market tends to be either one of three methods: 1. a candidate applies to a job posting and has her or his application tossed into a churn of possibly hundreds of applications, 2. a candidate posts his or her resume on a job site and hopes to get a call, or 3. a candidate reaches out to a recruiter and seeks a job match. But you should almost always choose the fourth method if it EVER becomes available (like the elusive early access discounted ticket option to a show): 4. someone you know works at a company with a posting you're interested in and can refer you internally.

In today's job market, too many people choose to not seek a job referral. Mind boggling in the age of LinkedIn, where it only takes a couple of clicks to find out if someone you knows works at a company you're interested in. Aside from congratulatory messages when I landed my current job, the second most frequent conversation I had related to work was when acquaintances got in touch and revealed (while catching up) that they had applied to a job with my employer. In fact, two people had applied after I had started working with my employer. I chastised them on not asking their peers (including me) for job referrals prior to applying. I quote one with permission: "Oh! I should've. Hopefully it doesn't make too much of a difference." Well, a referral really makes that much of a difference.

In fact, a referral who gets an interview has a 40% better chance of getting hired than other candidates. ( Source)

What difference does a referral make? 32% of companies reported employee referral programs as their top source for quality hires. The majority of employers find that referred employees outperform other employees on most aspects of company fit. Referrals also effectively introduce candidates that easily fits into a company’s existing culture and 76% of employers identified cultural fit as a high priority (source). Here is a great post outlining some important referral statistics that you'd be surprised to hear, such as how referrals account for between 30 and 50% of hires in the U.S., and how a study in a certain industry showed that referrals only made up about 6% of applications but accounted for more than 25% of hires. Compare that to the statistic that job hunters that apply through job boards account for 60% of applications.

Stop hesitating. Just do it. Then keep going.

Stop resisting a helpful hand. Some of you might hesitate at asking a friend, peer, colleague, acquaintance, or a mentor for a referral because you haven't known them long enough, you're too close, you're not close enough, or you don't want to make things awkward with someone in case they don't want to refer you. But if you really want a job and you know someone who can refer you, my advice to you is to suck it up and just ask. All they need to know is who you are, what you do, and your name (and if they don't know, you get ready to tell them). The worst that can happen is they'll say no, for whatever reasons. Also, did you know that referrals usually save employers on expensive recruiter fees and that unsurprisingly, many companies have incentives for employee referrals? You might actually be benefiting others by presenting yourself and it's their loss if they don't choose to refer you. Trust me, it'll be worth it and hurt less than you expect.

Once you're comfortable with doing that, you may want to consider leveling up your job hunting game. What if you don't know someone directly who can refer you? Then do your research and start looking for someone that can introduce you to someone who can refer you. A one person's network may only go so far, but cast your net a little further to all those LinkedIn 2nd degree connections. You'll be amazed at how connected we all are. Seek, and you will find.

But it doesn't end there, once you find a connection at whatever degree, slide into those DMs with a professional work-related knock knock (note: if you are not connected in any way, you may need LinkedIn Premium to InMail). Inquire about their willingness to converse with you for some information and advice and be honest about your interest in their company. Hopefully, after developing a rapport and relationship, you'll have the courage to shoot your shot.

So ask, seek, and knock! Then who knows, perhaps at a better odds, the perfect job offer will be given to you.

Disclaimer: This article has nothing to do with my current work and more to do with an average Jane wanting to share her thoughts on how to land a job.