How to Convince Someone to Look at Your Resume Again

past Alex Lacey

Looking for a job? Here's how to convince strangers to help y'all find ane

The 7-step process that I used to get 40 referrals

In an increasingly competitive job market, landing a showtime-round job interview tin can be a major claiming in itself. Even so, there is ane surefire way to increase your chances: a referral from someone at the company you want to work for. This is obvious, but what if you don't know anyone at that visitor?

In my recent job-search, I received referrals for xl jobs at 40 difficult-to-reach companies despite not knowing anyone at 38 of them. My strategy was uncomplicated. I used my costless 1-calendar month trial of LinkedIn Premium (the Recruiter Lite version) to inquire relevant individuals at each visitor. I asked for a brusk call to hear about their experiences. At the end of the call, I asked them for a referral to piece of work in that location. Here's the shocking role: every single person said aye.

Over fourth dimension, I've refined this procedure to maximum efficiency, and I believe that countless others could benefit from the lessons I've learned. So, without further ado, here is a 7-step guide to getting referrals for whatever chore application:

Pace 1: Sign up for a free one-month trial of LinkedIn Premium

Every LinkedIn member is eligible for a free i-month trial of LinkedIn Premium, which provides a handful of features non available to free accounts.

By far the best of these features is InMail, which allows you to ship messages to anyone among the more than 500 one thousand thousand users on LinkedIn. As far as I'yard enlightened, there has been nothing else in the entire class of man history that gives regular people the power to directly contact such a large pool of individuals.

There are 4 versions of LinkedIn Premium that are available for a free one-calendar month trial. Although the "Premium Career" option (normally $thirty/month) was supposedly designed for task-seekers, I recommend the "Recruiter Low-cal" (normally $100/month) program for a few reasons:

• Unlimited browsing of others' profiles
• Advanced search functionality (including a chore championship filter)
• xxx InMail letters per calendar month instead of 3
• Unlimited InMail letters to other LinkedIn Premium members.

Even if your job-search continues after the first gratis month or y'all've already used your trial in the past, I still believe that these features are worth the price.

I should besides note that the LinkedIn Recruiter Lite plan has its ain separate interface accessible on the meridian right of the folio, and your InMail message credits will only be available there, not in your regular LinkedIn account.

Stride two: Find people on LinkedIn that you want to contact

For each employer that y'all're interested in, you should use the Recruiter Light search parameters to select ii–3 people that you might reach out to. Finding the right people is not an verbal science, but here are some possible criteria:

• Currently at the company
  You should use this filter for every search. The default is "Electric current or Past" and you should change information technology to "Electric current". Sometimes, people accept 2 jobs listed as current on their LinkedIn contour. This often means that they switched jobs and never officially "ended" the other job on LinkedIn. In this instance, their current chore is the one with the nearly recent start date, which tin can exist adamant by clicking on their profile.
• 1st-degree connections
  If you already know someone at a visitor, they tin can requite you a "warm introduction" to someone that has the role you lot desire. This is by far the nigh mutual tactic that people use to get referrals. As well although information technology has a higher rate of success than reaching out to strangers, it is inherently limited by the size of your network. Equally such, practise not rely on this in isolation.
• LinkedIn premium members
  It costs zero InMail credits to contact someone who likewise has a LinkedIn Premium subscription. People who have LinkedIn Premium are generally more than active on the platform. This ways that they're slightly more likely to respond than a non-premium member. For big companies, I was able to solely contact these members and salvage up InMail credits for smaller companies. Although it'due south not possible to filter a search to premium members only, the algorithm seems to button them to the top of the results. Additionally, the golden LinkedIn logo next to their information makes them quite easy to identify.
• Job title similarity
  You should use the "position" search filter to observe people that have similar task-titles to the 1 you are seeking. Their referral ofttimes carries more than weight than a referral from someone else at the company.
• Seniority
  Give preference to higher-level people, every bit their referrals besides acquit more than weight. For medium to large companies, it should not be difficult to find someone who has a related office at a college level with a LinkedIn Premium account. It takes a bit of digging to find out how an employer'south hierarchy works. However, it can ofttimes be constitute by viewing the LinkedIn profiles of senior people that accept been at a visitor for a long time. Their history of various roles at the company can be helpful. It'due south important to note that many higher-ups have a lot of sources vying for their attention. Thus the rate of success in contacting them will be significantly lower, but however worth a shot. If they do agree to chat, they're more likely to be comfortable with giving a referral, than an entry-level employee. This may be because they're more than familiar with the procedure
• 2nd-caste connections
  Suppose you have a mutual connection with someone. You can ask your shared connection to give you a formal introduction to them on LinkedIn. If you don't know your mutual connection well plenty to ask for an introduction, you can mention that you both know the person in your bulletin to them.
• Academy
  If they attended the aforementioned college equally yous, that's one instant factor in which you can relate to them. This will brand them more likely to agree to take time to speak with you on the telephone. In my ain feel, I've found that graduates from a not-Ivy League schools, such equally myself, working in difficult-to-attain companies were likely to help. Possibly this is because they likewise had to work a bit harder in the application process.
• Anything else y'all have in common
  Location, college major, hometown, interests, and so on. Everything on their LinkedIn profile is fair game.

There are a lot of factors to consider, simply it's important to not over-clarify each person's profile in an attempt to find the "perfect" referral. Spend ten minutes choosing 5–10 people at a company and movement on. To stay organized, you lot tin can prepare up a new "project" in the recruiter interface for saving profiles that you want to contact.

Step three: Transport InMail to the people you've establish

Outset, before reaching out to anyone, brand sure that your LinkedIn profile is completely updated and looks every bit impressive as possible. Some of the people you contact will look at your profile.

When you are ready to send a bulletin to someone, the content of the message is important. To maximize your chances of receiving a response, ask them for a fifteen-infinitesimal phone call to discuss their experiences with the visitor. Hither's a stock bulletin you can use:

Hello [their name],

My proper noun is [your name]. I'm currently looking into jobs within [specific industry], and I saw that at that place was a posting at [their company]. [mention anything you and them have in common, if applicative].

I don't know too much about what this role looks like at [their visitor], and I'd love to hear about your experiences. Would yous exist able to chat on the phone for ~fifteen minutes sometime this calendar week?

[your name]

Resist the urge to add extra details that aren't 100% necessary. The recipient will be less likely to read the whole message. If you exercise add something, brand sure it truly increases your likelihood of getting a response

Side notation: If you lot're a educatee, always mention it, because people honey to help students.

It's important to call up that this process is inherently hit-and-miss. Some (most) of the people you reach out to will non respond, and that'southward okay. Practise not over-analyze the situation or let this discourage you.

Pace iv: Program out a time to talk

If the person replies, make sure to exist prompt in your response to them. They'll often enquire you to send a few time slots in which you're available. Every bit a courtesy, provide a wide range of availability in their time-zone. This can be inferred from their location listed on their LinkedIn profile.

People will ofttimes want to talk during their work-hours, almost commonly on Fridays. This is particularly true for consultants, though there are exceptions.

Stride five: Talk to them on the telephone

You should exist prepared for the call with a few questions for them, as you will be expected to guide the conversation. Equally with in-person interviews, the general rule-of-thumb is that you want to ask subjective questions. They would likely provide a different answer than someone else. Do non concrete questions that could be answered with a Google Search. Here are some ideas:

• "How does this office differ from this role at [similar companies]?"
• "Based on your feel, what is the company culture like compared to other places you've worked?"
• "How does this job compare to [previous job listed on their LinkedIn profile]?"
• "What does the 24-hour interval-to-twenty-four hour period work wait like in this function?"
• "How would y'all ascertain success in this role?"
• "If I were to receive this chore or a like job, how practise you recommend that I prepare for information technology?"
• "Practise you take any general advice for me in my job search process?"

So, subsequently 10–15 minutes, inquire the following question:

"I know that the role is super competitive, so do y'all remember it would exist valuable for me to seek out a referral from you or someone else at the company?"

Y'all'll be surprised how oftentimes they say yes.

If they agree, you should so ask about how the referral process works, because it varies betwixt employers. In smaller companies, they'll ordinarily just send your resume to a recruiter. At larger companies, there is often a simple form that they can fill out. In almost cases, the company will desire you to apply online likewise. Nevertheless, employers vary on whether y'all should submit the application before or after the referral. Brand certain you detect out. Oftentimes, the person you're speaking with won't know the details of the referral procedure offhand, so they'll need some time to inquire.

Step half-dozen: Follow up

Your advice with each person should continue beyond the initial referral. This is necessary because it facilitates future contact if necessary. Maybe you'll need a referral over again someday, but more importantly, it shows them that their favor meant a lot to you.

I recommend following upwardly the next day with a LinkedIn connection asking. This allows you lot to contact them again in the future after your premium subscription is over), including a message like this one:

"Once once again, thank you then much for speaking with me yesterday and referring me to [their company]! I'll continue you updated on the outcome of the awarding process."

In improver, you should update them one time the outcome of that specific awarding has been decided. They'll often be notified by the recruiter about whether you got the job, merely it's likewise nice to communicate with them personally. Besides you should contact them again in one case you accept a task offer somewhere.

Pace 7: Pay it forward

In the yard scheme of things, this is the nearly important footstep. When others ask you for career-assistance in the future, call up the people who helped you. Give advice. Be a mentor. Go in a higher place and beyond for them. Then, further in the future, the people that you helped volition do the same for others, then on.

If you lot go the chance, please answer in the comment section of this article to permit me know how you were able to network to discover a job. Eventually, I'd like to publish an updated version of this article that includes information from others also.

And above all else: never give up hope. Rejection volition happen. Do non allow yourself to get discouraged. Practiced luck!

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