Any advice for "approaching" people for referrals on LinkedIn?

11 Comments

1. Anne KrookMay 4,2022 at 4:37PM UTC

   You will be much more successful if you get referred to someone you don't know through someone you know. add people you know to LinkedIn -- everyone you know, not just people you think can help your job search, because you don't know who that may be outside academics -- and find out who you know is linked to people you might want to be introduced to. When you are introduced to someone you don't know, you need a specific ask ("I see you were at company X. Can you tell me about job Y at that company?") not a general one ("Can you help me get a job?")

2. elise morrisonMay 5,2022 at 8:57PM UTC

   Thank you!

3. Julie HumbirdMay 4,2022 at 6:50PM UTC

   I made my best connections through tech meetups. One of them referred me to my current job at Microsoft.

   https://www.meetup.com/Dallas-Fort-Worth-Women-in-Machine-Learning-and-Data-Science/

4. elise morrisonMay 5,2022 at 9:01PM UTC

   Oh wow this is exactly what I was looking for! I had seen some tech conferences for networking in DFW but most of them were during the work week and I wasn't sure I would be able to take off for them. Thank you!

5. AnonymousMay 4,2022 at 8:09PM UTC

   You should guage how well you know them and how often you interact with them.

   1) For example, did you work with them on specific critical projects that they would be able to speak to if contacted? If so, then thats a green light and be deliberate in telling them the job you applied for and the kind of experiences you would like for them to speak to.

   2)Did you spend "Organic" social time with them? Not because you needed them or to be fake, but like work lunches, team building exercises, work related events to build a rapport with them? If so, then that is another green light.

   3) If you rarely communicated with the person (not within a year), if you never worked on a critical project with them, you have to ask what would they be able to speak to if they are contacted. Even if the person says yes to being added as a referral, you want them to be able to represent you in the best light. So if you have not genuinely communicated with the person within the past year and you have not worked on a project that they can definitively speak to in support of the job role you are seeking, then that is not a good sign.

   4) This is why even if you are an introvert, try to find ways to periodically check-in and reach out on potential references. Make sure their contact info is up to date and show some genuine interest. This is so that with time, this becomes a natural and easy thing to request.

6. elise morrisonMay 5,2022 at 9:02PM UTC

   I am seeing now from your comment and others that people aren't actually "cold calling" random people and are instead reaching out to people they know. That makes more sense! I was like wow these people are brave haha!

7. Joanne RosenMay 4,2022 at 8:37PM UTC

   Super easy!

   Hi Fred,

   I am new to the Data Science/Data Analytics world and am coming from Academia - specifically Criminology. I'm really interested in chatting with others to find out what I can look forward to in this new field. For example, what's the biggest Aha moment you've ever had?

   Would love to connect!

   Once you have connected like that, then you can chat more and ask if they know of any positions or if their company has a referral program.

   Many companies will pay current employees to bring in candidates. It saves them multiple thousands of dollars for recruiting.

   Cheers

   Joanne

   www.analyticadvantagecc.com

8. elise morrisonMay 5,2022 at 9:03PM UTC

   Thanks for the advice Joanne!

9. ParillonMay 10,2022 at 7:07PM UTC

   Join the same organizations and connect as society members- Tableau virtual is free this year for data visualizations

   https://www.tableau.com/events/conference/register

10. Echo SchneiderMay 18,2022 at 6:39PM UTC

    I've helped almost 20 people be able to be hired on to where I work, so there are lots of us ready to help put a hand back to help those coming behind us! I wouldn't be afraid to just politely ask for exactly what you need.

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