Crucial Tactic in Job Search: Internal Referrals

A key factor to getting a job? Getting help from someone inside the company according to the WSJ. I agree. An internal referral absolutely helps you land an in-house job. Why? The purpose of the legal function is to minimize risk, so legal managers try to do that by hiring a sure-thing, someone vouched for by an insider.

Here’s how to get that referral:

1. Identify whom to ask. I recommend starting with LinkedIn (have at least 500 connections for your network to be meaningful). The ideal person to approach is someone trusted by the hiring manager, but sometimes you have to settle for anyone at the company.
2. What to say. Per WSJ, for a professional contact you don’t know that well, “tell them at the outset that you are sending your application to their employer… Then be direct and say, ‘I don’t know if it would be appropriate for you to put in a word for me, but if you feel comfortable doing that, I’d really appreciate it.’” And if you know someone only socially, “explain that just vouching for your character would go a long way.” In all cases, follow up with #3 below.
3. Give an out to the person you are asking (and be ok with rejection). Reasons insiders could decline your request include they know more about the position and why you aren’t right, or they might not know you well enough.
4. Follow this success story. The article cites a tech professional who landed the job after messaging team members on LinkedIn. He started by saying he wanted to learn “what it was like to work at their company.” If he got a response, he then “asked for advice on scoring an interview and whether they could connect him with the hiring manager. If he got a no, he would ask if they could refer him to a recruiter for the team or another team member who might give advice.” I agree with his conclusion that people are “willing to help as long as they see there’s effort from the other person that they really want this job.”
5. Bonus benefit. Job descriptions are long and difficult to discern what the employer prioritizes, so ask the insider what the company values most. Find out the key issues, products, strategy, etc. Then highlight what’s relevant in your resume and during the interview — explain how your skills line up with the job while using the company’s lingo, e.g., naming key initiatives, areas of growth, or risk.