NOTE: This is part of a "quick bites" series I'm trying out - for shorter, more frequent posts. Let me know if these are helpful! This is (intentionally) following the theme of the post: getting something out there rather than waiting for the perfect thing.

Referrals are an important tool for getting a job at a top tech company. There are many ways I’ve seen people mess up referrals so I thought I’d write a quick note.

Referrals are a potential way to ensure your application gets looked at. There are usually two kinds of referrals:

  1. Someone explicitly vouches for your skills and puts their reputation on the line. They usually write up why they think you’d be a great candidate.
  2. They submit a “lead” (basically saying I know person X and have heard from someone I trust they might be good at Y but I cannot personally attest to it).

It should be pretty clear the first counts much more than the second (and some companies only allow the first). But realistically most people only get the option for the second (via a friend of a friend etc) - and that’s okay. I recall reading some stats (might be outdated) about some companies hiring a majority of their employees from referrals.

Here are some tips - do:

  1. Explain why you’re a good fit for the role: write a quick short summary of your profile and resume
  2. Highlight your connection to the referee, ideally with someone they know who can vouch on your behalf
  3. Research the company’s openings and make sure you qualify
  4. Respect the referee’s time/effort; keep your request short and share links to the job posting

And please don’t:

  1. Write a wall of text - no need for a 5 page email, a couple of paragraphs is fine.
  2. Be lazy: please do your research. Don’t just share your resume and ask “hi can you please see my resume and refer me to any relevant roles.” You’re way less likely to get a response this way.
  3. Argue: if someone is uncomfortable referring you or says no, leave it at that. Arguing will just burn a bridge. Companies also hire all the time without a referral (oftentimes the candidates they want aren’t even applying), so you’ll be okay!
  4. Apply, get rejected, and then ask for a referral. This is harmful for 2 reasons: a) you may have been auto rejected and the referral now also gets auto rejected because you were rejected in the last N months (some companies have this policy.) and b) your referee will likely be ineligible for a referral bonus (I personally don’t care but a lot of folks do.). Just ask around for a referral first before applying, or at the very least tell your referral upfront that you got rejected so they don’t feel like they are caught off guard.

Some of the best requests I’ve seen follow that Inigo Montoya meme everyone uses - e.g “Hi, I’m X, a student at Y. I’m really interested in $company because Z and my coursework and projects in $foo highlight my experience in this area. Our mutual advisor Dr S recommended I ask for your help to refer me to the role at $url”

Have you sent requests for referrals? Or received a lot? What advice would you give to others regarding referrals? Please share in the comments! (I’m trying to collate advice for a talk.)