Warning: Don't skip checking referral requirements before applying

I wasted two months applying to jobs at a company called Brightcore Analytics last fall without realizing they paid a $500 bonus to employees who referred someone. My neighbor's cousin works there and told me after I'd already sent in 14 applications. Now I always search for 'employee referral program' on a company's site before I even update my resume. Has anyone else had luck getting a referral from a stranger on LinkedIn?

2 comments

2 Comments

avery7211d ago

My buddy Marcus literally just went through this same thing. He spent three weeks cold applying to a marketing firm downtown, only to find out his college roommate's girlfriend worked there and could have gotten him a $750 referral bonus. He ended up messaging her on LinkedIn and she was totally cool about it, set him up with a direct line to the hiring manager. Now he's got an interview next Tuesday, so it's definitely worth asking strangers if you approach them right. Just be polite and don't be pushy about it.

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wendy_clark1d ago

That's exactly what happened to me a few years back. I was job hunting for like two months, sending out resumes everywhere, until my cousin's neighbor mentioned she knew someone at a tech startup I was dying to get into. I reached out on LinkedIn super casual, just asked if she had five minutes to chat about her role, and she ended up forwarding my resume directly to the hiring manager. Got an interview within three days after that, way faster than any cold application I sent. The whole thing taught me that it's not about who you know, it's about who you can get to know. Did you end up messaging that connection after you found out?