How to make someone to refer you on Linkedin?
So you're about to ask someone to refer you on Linkedin, here is the guide for better conversion rate.
Find out whom to send a message: Find the people who are working in the company you're targetting for. Filter the people who are having the same technical background as you. Like if you're a frontend dev, It's better to ask a frontend dev to refer you for the available position. They can judge you better based on your resume and your skills.
What to send in a message:
Don'ts: Here are the things you can avoid,
- Dropping a "Hi" and wait for the other person to respond with "Hi" to continue the conversation.
- A straight, "Can you refer me?" without proper context.
Dos:Here are the things they won't avoid,
- Explore the career page or Linkedin job page of that company and note down the Job Ids you are eligible for and are interested in.
- You have something to showcase which can bring your resume on the top, mention that. Like the tech talk, you've delivered or the personal website you have or the open-source contribution you have made.
- Create a proper format of referral request message which includes the above points.
Following the above points, you will definitely have a good conversation with the person and they may suggest some improvements or provide some valuable feedback. Either way, it's a win for you.
What happens after that?
Best Case: It worked like a charm for me in the past and I got a lot of references from a lot of amazing people.
Worst Case: People might be busy sometimes or receives a lot of messages so there are chances that your message may get lost in their inbox. Don't feel disheartened and send another followup message. If it still doesn't work, look for some other person.
All the best!