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Should I wait on a referral?
I got connected through a mutual friend to an employee at a company I saw an interesting job opening for. We had a great informational interview and he offered to refer me (without me even asking!) He also seems to know the team the hiring manager is on.
We chatted on a Friday so I waited until Monday (to avoid bothering him over the weekend) to send over my resume as asked for him to submit the referral. I still haven't heard back and sent a follow-up email two days after that first email just to check in.
It's now been a little over a week - I don't want to come off as a pest and follow up again but is it worth doing so given it's the holiday season and my previous emails may have been buried? Or should I just give up and submit an application on my own?
I'm a bit surprised by the sudden radio silence given how well our initial conversation went so I'm worried I rubbed him the wrong way at a certain point and didn't realize it? Would love any honest feedback!
13 Comments
Anonymous
12/28/20 at 4:42PM UTC
I'd wait until the new year before reaching out again. People are even more exhausted this year than usual and he may just be trying to disconnect for the holiday break.
If the application period is closing, go ahead and apply now on your own. Otherwise, you can wait and see if he replies so you can coordinate the application through him.
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Anonymous
12/28/20 at 4:44PM UTC
Do yourself a favor and don't second guess yourself. Remember HE asked you if you wanted a referral. The holidays and year end closing issues take an enormous amount of time. I would take a breath and trust that your impression of your call and your follow up are spot on. Give it until after the 1st of the year and circle back. Chances are good that nothing on the job front will happen until then unless the hiring manager already has someone in mind.
6
1 Reply
Essence Dashtaray
29
12/30/20 at 9:15PM UTC
Spot on! A lot of folks disconnect between the holidays. Wishing you the best of luck with this potential opportunity!
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Anonymous
12/28/20 at 6:23PM UTC
Considering the timing, it's entirely possible that the potential referral is on vacation! Please don't second guess yourself!
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Katrina HonerCareer Contessa Coach
102
12/28/20 at 6:55PM UTC
Agree with all this wonderful feedback above - so many people are trying to disconnect or are already checked out. I would say if you notice the job is closing soon, apply for it and you can mention in the New Year you submitted and application and wondering if he can still put in a good word.
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Joanne RosenResume Writer Extraordinaire!
123
12/28/20 at 8:06PM UTC
Hi,
Did he mention who the hiring authority would be? If so, send your resume and a cover letter to that person. Mention that you spoke with "John" about the position and are more interested than ever. Then, say . . . With the holidays, John may have been to busy to bring my resume to you so, because I really want this position, I'm taking the extra precaution of sending it to you.
All of this tells them, a) you've gone the extra mile to connect with someone, b) you recognize the busy time, and c) you are a go-getter who isn't going to wait because this is the job for you.
Cheers
Joanne Rosen, MA
www.analyticadvantagecc.com
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Anonymous
12/29/20 at 4:08PM UTC
Thanks, everyone!! I'm going to wait until the new year to check in - fingers crossed!
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Farah BajwaManager | Mentor | Consultant | Coach
193
12/30/20 at 12:43AM UTC
Referrals in my experience carry weight so I'd wait unless the application window is closing. You never know - he could be on vacation and not checking his email.
You could also fake start the application to see if it asks you for his name and contact as a reference rather than he referring you or providing you with a special application link.
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1 Reply
Joanna GiordanoHBO HR experience. Resume/Job & Health coach.
265
12/30/20 at 4:58AM UTC
Agree. I’ve been the one who posts jobs before and while this is a slow time, the postings can come down literally at any moment. My advice is apply. If you get the chance to self identify as a referral then do so. If your contact comes through later, you can tell them that you have already applied and they may just forward your info directly to HR or the hiring manager on their side.
If you want to go the extra mile, you could try to have support remove you so could try to reapply through a referral link if/when received.
In general it is more helpful for you to exist in the system first and then have the added boost of a referral- formally via a link or just informally behind the scenes. Otherwise if you’re info is lost or forwarded without attachments, no one will be able to find your info again. If you are in the system already, they can just look you up and see the job and your resume any time.
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Anonymous
12/31/20 at 2:29PM UTC
It's also possible he changed his mind. Perhaps it's nothing deeply personal other than he is gunshy about attaching his reputation to someone he barely knows.
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Anonymous
12/31/20 at 4:01PM UTC
Agreed with all of the above. Don't overthink it. What's meant for you will come to you.
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Anantha Padmanabhan
11
01/01/21 at 12:07AM UTC
Move on.
Reply
Julie HaverkateEditor/Writer of Inclusive + Compelling Stories
66
01/01/21 at 7:24PM UTC
HI! I've had this happen to me too - someone offers (without my asking!) to refer me, and then I send a couple of emails and... nothing. I think you can send one more email after the new year (since the holidays are such a weird time!), but then if you don't hear back, you should probably move on and just submit your application online. (And if he gets back to you after you submit, he can still refer you! So don't wait too long on him.)
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