Networking Differently: How To Create Genuine Connections & Get Your Foot In The Door

You’ve heard it before, and you’ll probably hear it again: the nagging advice that you need to “network” your way into a job.

But what does it mean, why does it even really matter, and how the heck do you do it?

“Networking into a job” suggests that you know someone at the company who helps your application get noticed, introduces you to key people in the hiring process or maybe even alerts you to an open job that might be a fit. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t mean you have to have a personal champion or best friend there who can speak to all of your qualifications, charm, and wit or personally attest to your brilliance from first-hand experience. It’s simply someone who can help you get a foot in the door…and finding and connecting with them is easier than you’d think (more on that below).

“Networking into a job” is incredibly important and you hear about it all the time because employee referrals are the top source for hires across almost every industry, delivering more than 30% of hires. Recruiters LOOOVE referrals for many reasons, including the fact that referrals are usually cheaper and faster to hire, they onboard more quickly and they stay longer than hires found through other avenues. This is generally because employees or other people close to the organization who make referrals have a good understanding of the role and what it will take to get it done and are often able to identify people with both a skill and culture fit.

This isn’t always the case, but often times employee referrals rise to the top of the stack of resumes. Which means if you come in through a web application, you may be overshadowed by someone who…you guessed it… “networked into the job.” Because referrals are basically a candidate goldmine, many employers incentivize their employees for referring people who eventually get hired. This is important to remember because we all sometimes feel shy about reaching out and asking for a favor. In this case it’s good to remember that it can often benefit the employee, as well.

So how do you become one of these better, faster, longer hires?

Ideally, you’ve been actively networking while not looking for a job and have genuine, warm connections with people across your industry that you can call on when it’s time for you to take the leap and apply to a new job. Right?

Maybe…but probably not. In reality, many of us just don’t do this. Or even if you do, you still may not know someone at the dream company with the perfect job.

For those with limited time and patience for networking *raises hand* or for those who simply need a more targeted approach, here’s three ways of finding people who could potentially help you get your foot in the door:

Right here on LinkedIn, put the name of the company into your search bar. It should populate a dropdown and allow you to pick the company from a list. At the very top of your header, click on the arrow “see all employees.” Here’s what I’d look for:

• Connections in Common: Look for the little circles below people’s names that show who you know in common. If you see you have a close friend (this isn’t something I’d recommend doing with a stranger you randomly added) in common ask your friend if they’d be comfortable making an introduction. The basic, free version of LinkedIn shows you your first, second and third degree connections. So always add people you know and meet because you never know who you may be connected to and when it may come in handy to know!
• Alumni from your Alma Mater: Remember how much you paid for your degree (undergraduate and graduate)? What you really paid for is a network, so use it! LinkedIn has a handy alumni tool that allows you to search your alumni network via title, keyword or company. Most people feel a sense of duty to help others who went to their school so they are great people to target for information informational interviews. Even if they aren’t in the exact role or department you are targeting, ask them to talk with you about culture or their experience. From there, they can probably help you navigate the hiring process to find the right person to connect with.
• Something else in common: If you come up short in the above, go back to the company’s employee list, look for people in the department that you are targeting and look at everyone’s profile. Look for people you have something, ANYTHING in common with and try a cold outreach either via email (if you can find it online) or LinkedIn messaging. Remember to keep it warm and eye-catching (here’s a great example).

**Remember, when using any of the methods above you don’t necessarily need to connect with the hiring manager (although that’s always nice). Your goal is to connect with someone in a natural and organic way so you can hopefully request an informational conversation, create a true, genuine connection, and then land a referral without even trying. If someone you meet likes you, they will surely pass your information along to the right person…and voila! You just got your foot in the door and learned valuable information about the company that should help you nail the interview.

When reaching out, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• When sending email or LinkedIn communication, don’t send something obviously generic. Personalize it (again, I love this example). Mention something you know about them to enforce the connection. And always ask for something specific i.e. “I’d love to jump on a call and ask you a few questions about the culture of the office and the direction of the marketing team.” Don’t just send your resume and ask them to keep you in mind. Also, don’t mention a referral right off the bat. Keep your request focused on information you’re trying to gather, not about the referral you need. That will come after a genuine connection. I promise!
• Respect people’s time. As someone who does a lot of informational interviews as part of my job and also just because I like to help others, nothing is more annoying or off-putting than someone who shows up and asks you to “tell me what you do.” Look at their background beforehand, show you did your research, prepare specific questions and always be respectful of the fact that someone is taking precious time out of their day to talk to you.
• ALWAYS send a thank you note or email. Be sure it’s warm and appreciative and mentions specific things you learned.
• Be sure that you keep them posted on your journey. If someone is kind enough to help you get to your next step, don’t assume they know. Send them an email and let them know you got the interview or the job. It’s a great way to stay in touch, too.

I’d love to know – have you been intimidated by the idea of “networking into a job?” What approaches have you used to meet people inside organizations you’re targeting? Did they work?

This post was written by DRG Group contributor Kathleen Casanova. Kathleen is the Executive Recruiter and Director of Talent Development in the University Development Office at the University of Texas at Austin. In her roles, she has helped hire hundreds of people into their dream jobs and launched formal recruitment, metrics and performance management, diversity and inclusion, internal communications, employee engagement, training and development, and onboarding programs.