How to: Use Your Network to Land a Job Referral
If you’re looking for a job and feel that your current network is tapped out in terms of referrals, it’s time to get creative with your job search!
We’ve put together a shortlist of creative ways you can move within and outside of your network to land a new job referral.
Do Your Research
Figure out what type of job, industry, role, etc., you’re looking for.
Once you know your dream job, take a look at the LinkedIn profile of someone who has it. You can reverse engineer that individual's journey and use the titles, company names, and experiences listed to help build your own career path.
Do you need training? Special certifications to stand out from other applicants? Courses from Atheneum Collective, LinkedIn Learning, Master Class, Lynda.com, or General Assembly all offer inexpensive (sometimes free!) training for the advertising and marketing industries.
Freshen up your LinkedIn profile, portfolio, website, etc. to mimic the career path you’re aiming for. Evaluate your work to ensure you're putting your best foot forward.
Research companies on Glassdoor, Google, or LinkedIn to know what positions are available and know if you’d like to apply.
Use Your Network
Let your network know you’re on the hunt. List your skills and specifically ask for introductions to people that may be hiring.
Reach out to 1st-degree connections, and ask for 2nd-degree introductions on LinkedIn. Be specific, and include an example outreach note to make the ask easy for them.
Reconnect with ex-colleagues to see how they are faring, especially if they've pivoted out of your shared field and into something else. Sometimes rekindling those past relationships can spark remembrance (hopefully fond) that could lead to a job or ideas for you to expand your current capabilities beyond what you've been doing.
Always remember to say "thank you" for the connection, the outreach, the friendship.
Build Your Network
Attend and participate in virtual online networking groups and events in your industry. We value the events that ThinkLA, AICP, Promax, VES (Visual Effects Society) and Creative Mornings organizes, but find ones that hold the most value for you.
Make sure you follow and engage in the event hashtag on social media - this is how you can easily make new connections.
Many events are free or have a low ticket price.
Comment and engage on other people’s (strangers) posts when you feel a specific resonance with what they said. Reshare and engage, send them a message before requesting to follow or connect.
Find 5 people with your dream job and reach out for advice, not a job. Ask for their perspective on the industry - people can be spooked when you go to them with your hand out for a job, but if you tell the would-be contact you have a list of 5 questions and would love 15 minutes of their time, then they may be open to that initial conversation. Some outreach examples:
“How has the current climate affected your day-to-day?"
“What do you think will happen in the next 6 months? year?"
"Company X is such a terrific place - can you share how you got your current position?"
Any advice for someone trying to branch out into XXX?"
Remember, you are gardening, not hunting. A network takes nurturing and time to really grow. Don't get frustrated if things don't start to happen immediately. Set yourself reminders to check in with new contacts, but not too frequently.
If all else fails, and you still need an “in” at a company, make sure you’ve filled out a profile on BLTRecruiting.com. We are offering free, one-on-one consultations to help anyone navigate the hiring and talent climate during this time. Contact us for help!