Getting in front of a person

What's going on

• Referred candidates are more likely to be hired. A Federal Reserve Bank of New York study of one large US employer found referred candidates were more likely to be hired and stayed longer ^[1]. Field experiments reach the same conclusion: referred workers are more likely to be hired, all else being equal ^[2].
• Many jobs are found through people. Research reviewed in the New York Fed study found that between 52% and 58% of male workers under 45 heard about their job from friends or relatives ^[1].
• The employer's own site can beat the big boards. In one North American dataset of 640 million applications, company careers pages produced 34% of hires from 24% of applications. External job boards produced 23% of hires from 50% of applications, and referrals produced 12% of hires ^[3].

Why it's happening

A referral solves the recruiter's hardest problem: knowing who's genuine in a pile of hundreds. Someone they trust has already vouched for you. That's worth more than any keyword.

What you can do

1. Make a target list of 15 to 20 organisations. Roles you'd genuinely want, at places you'd genuinely work.
2. Map who you know there. Former colleagues, clients, people from courses, friends of friends. LinkedIn's "people you may know" filtered by company is a quick start.
3. Ask for advice, not a job. "I'm interested in your team's work. Could I ask you three questions about what it's like?" gets more replies than "Can you get me hired?"
4. Make referring you easy. If someone offers, send a two-line summary of why you fit and the link to the role, so they can forward it in seconds.
5. Message the hiring manager, briefly. After applying, a short note naming the role and one specific reason you'd be good at it is reasonable. Don't attach your CV unless asked.
6. Show up where your field gathers. Professional bodies, meetups, webinars and online communities. Contribute something useful rather than announcing you're looking.
7. Keep your LinkedIn profile consistent with your CV. People who hear about you will look you up. Make sure your headline says what you do, not what you used to do.
8. Return the favour. Introduce people, share roles, write recommendations. Networks run on reciprocity.