"The best ones, which is how I got my one and only internal interview, was I reached out directly to someone I work with briefly. Not even that closely. Five years ago. And then she sent my information directly to the hiring manager and hr." Entertainment industry professional, on a free Huntr support call
🏠 The Ultimate Job Search Guide
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A referral gets you an interview 40% of the time. In Ashby's analysis of 38 million+ applications across 93,000 jobs from 2021 through 2024, 40% of referred applicants reached an interview, against 3% of everyone else.
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Referrals are rare, so use them early and keep applying. In Ashby's data:
Networks take years to build. Most people work through theirs in the first 2 weeks of a search.
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1 recruiter with 28 years in the business has never found his own job any other way:
"Every job I've ever landed, eight different companies over my career since graduating college in 1992, all through networking." Founder of a B2B sales recruiting firm
Employers are pickier now, which raises the value of someone who can vouch for you.
"Our companies are more selective ... So we are going from [is this] a good candidate, to [are we] confident that this is the right person for this role right now." Freelance recruiter and career coach in Spain
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1. Always be networking
You do this all the time, whether or not you need a job. You don't ask for anything. You talk shop and build relationships that turn into referrals later.
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2. Reach out about a specific job
When you apply, message someone at the company about that role. Make it about the job, and make it easy to say yes or no.
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Hi [name], I saw you work in [industry or team]. I'm in [your field] and curious how [their company or field] handles [topic]. Want to chat for 15 minutes sometime?
Start with people who have some reason to know you:
Make relationships useful in both directions when you can. Share a lead, offer feedback, or introduce people who could help each other. You don't have to earn the right to ask for help by doing a favor first. My Authority Magazine interview goes deeper.