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How to get a referral without knowing anyone

Find someone who works at the company in a similar role, tell them in a few lines which job you are applying for and one specific thing you have done, and ask a small question before you ask for a referral.

Last updated . winq publishes this page, and winq is one of the options in it.

Who to write to

  • People in the same function as the job, because they can judge your work.
  • People who share something with you: a school, a former employer, a community or a project.
  • People who wrote or built something you used, such as an open source project or a post.
  • Not the most senior person you can find. A peer is more likely to reply.

Before you write

  • Check whether the company has a referral form on its career page. If it does, use it.

What to send

Keep it to a few lines: who you are in one sentence, the job you are applying for, one specific thing you did that is relevant with a link, and one small request. A good first request is a question only they can answer, such as what the team works on. Ask for the referral if they reply and the conversation goes well.

What to avoid

  • Sending the same text to many people at one company.
  • Asking a stranger to vouch for you before they have seen any of your work.
  • Pressing after a no, or after no reply.

Your options

  • Write to employees yourself. Find them through LinkedIn or the company's public pages. Free, and it takes a few messages for each job.
  • Use who you already know. A friend of a friend can introduce you. Check your own contacts for anyone at the company first.
  • Use winq. If you upload your LinkedIn connections export, winq shows who you already know at the company for each job. For your top jobs it drafts a short note you can edit and send. It does not contact anyone for you.

Questions

Is it okay to ask a stranger for a referral?
Many people will help if the ask is small and specific. Start with a question, and ask for the referral later.
What if nobody replies?
Send one more note to a different person, and apply through the form anyway.

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