How to get referrals?

Why do you need a referral?

Depending on the industry, you could become ~300% more likely to get an interview with a referral. Based on the people you ask and their reach, a referral might even mean a guaranteed interview (or an offer!). For reference, only 1% of people who apply for big tech firms end up getting job offers there. Make sure to get a referral and give yourself a fighting chance.?

With that said, it is not required that you get a referral. A few recruiters have told me, “People who got job offers with a referral would likely have gotten an offer without one too.” I don’t have any evidence to (dis)prove that.?

When to ask for a referral?

This is a little tricky. Usually, people can’t officially refer others after they have left their job. However, people often have good connections even after they leave their job. They might be able to send their recruiter an email, recommending you - an informal referral. However, you should never ask someone to do this. They have to bet their reputation on you; such relationships are often not easily replenishable (they can only email the recruiter a certain time before it gets annoying and/or emails get unanswered). People will volunteer this option if they feel comfortable.?

Sometimes you need an open job posting you like for someone to be able to refer you, so you may have to wait for that. Some referrals also expire (often after a month), so you don’t want to put the cart before the horse as well. A good rule of thumb is to ask for a referral when you feel prepared for the interviews AND in about a week after the job posting is out. Referrals often expedite your recruiting timeline (interviews get scheduled faster), so be mindful of that as well.?

Whom should I ask for a referral?

1. Your parents’ professional connections: if your dad’s friend is a VP at Goldman Sachs, ask your dad to connect you two. Do lots of research about the firm and available roles, jot down a few relevant experiences to talk about, and then ask them to send your resume to the hiring manager. However, like mine, if your dad doesn’t golf with Satya Nadella, keep reading.
2. Your friends: If your friend is interning somewhere you want to work at, then take them out to lunch and ask them for a referral.?
3. Upperclassmen (teaching assistants, club members, resident advisors, classmates, etc.): “Hey! We were in the same class last semester. I see you interning at Google now; I would love to get some?advice; can we please meet up for coffee?”
4. Professors: They are often extremely well connected. Their students go on to do amazing things and often they keep in touch. “I am interested in working at McKinsey; can you please connect me with one of your students who works there?”
5. Alumni: Your school likely has a directory of all their alumni. You should be able to filter people by their employer. Use your school email to send them a message. Feel free to Google them / mildly stalk them on LinkedIn to personalize the email.?
6. Random people on LinkedIn and similar platforms (e.g. Team Blind): Worst case, use LinkedIn. It is quite expensive to message people; the free way is to send them a connection request and add a note. You are limited to a couple of sentences, so every word counts!

How to ask for a referral?

Favor

“I am XYZ; I would like to work at your firm because of ABC reasons. Can you please refer me?”

• Pros: It is direct and honest - they know exactly what you are looking for.?
• Cons: It only works if the receiver is altruistic, really needs the referral bonus, is already connected to you (e.g. same club), or believes you might be able to help them in the future.

Seek Advice

“I was wondering if we can have a call, so I can learn more about your work.” Later, ask for a referral.

• Pros: Fairly standard approach. You will get to learn more about the firm culture.??
• Cons: It is kind of ingenuine. While people know what you are looking for when you say this, it still comes out as, “Oh, I see. You were not really interested in my work. You just wanted a referral.”?

Approach 1 works well if you are connected to someone in a meaningful way (e.g. you both were presidents of Wharton Healthcare Club) and/or have a wow factor (e.g. prestigious school).?

Approach 2 is what you will likely use the most as underclassmen and/or early in your career. I usually end my call with “This sounds great! I would love to work at a place like this,” and hope they will volunteer a referral. If they don’t, but you think they seem impressed by you, you can pretend you “found” a job opening at their firm after 2 weeks -- enough time to give an organic moment feel but not long enough that they forget you -- and ask them if they would be open to referring you. If the response is anything but an enthusiastic yes, don't ask again for a referral. A bad referral might be worse than no referral.

Finally, asking for a referral from someone you already know well is almost always better than asking a stranger. Network early and maintain those connections.

What else do I need to know about referrals?

Referrals vary significantly. At some firms, a referral could just be someone at the firm sending an email to the hiring manager. On the other hand, other firms could have a well-established referral platform and procedure. If someone refers you, you may get an email with the next steps for you. Remember, referrals may expire as well! Some firms may limit how many positions someone can refer you for, so be cognizant of your selection and convey that appropriately.?

If someone isn’t enthusiastic and/or does not know impressive things about you, you likely should not be referred by them. Most of the time, they are asked this question, “Why do you want to refer to this person?” If they leave it blank or answer it in a bad way, that could hinder your chances of getting an interview. So, never pressure someone to refer you. With that, some firms also cap the number of referrals one could give in a given period of time. So, if someone says they can’t refer you, there really could be a genuine reason that has nothing to do with you.?

Not all referrals are born equal. If you get a referral from a Hiring Manager / VP / Partner, it may translate to a guaranteed interview. However, “he was top of the class and has extremely relevant experience like XYZ” from a new grad employee might be better than “he may or may not be a good fit; I don’t really know him” from a director.

Make sure to keep them updated even if you don’t get an offer. However, if you do, you can ask them for interview tips and more help. They may decline to help more depending on their schedule. In a lot of industries, people are often working 70+ hours a week: they might have competing priorities that prevent them from setting aside time for you. Don’t take it personally.?

Finally, send them a thank you email and/or a small gift. Referring people is not part of their job description, so make sure you show appreciation for their time.???

Good luck!

PS: I am always happy to refer qualified candidates. Feel free to directly ask me for a referral if you are interested. If you are a student, you may be able to get FREE job application and interview help @?howtostudent.com.