Guides
Practical, honest advice for candidates and the employees who refer them.
Asking well, following up and presenting yourself.
A short, polite request that is easy to say yes to, plus two templates you can adapt.
Read the guide →2 min readWhat a referral changes in practice, and when a cold application is perfectly fine.
Read the guide →1 min readShort LinkedIn messages for asking a stranger, a former colleague or an alumnus for a referral.
Read the guide →1 min readWhen to nudge, what to say, and when to move on, without annoying the person helping you.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to ask for a referral when your experience comes from a different field.
Read the guide →1 min readPractical, honest ways to approach people when you have lost your job.
Read the guide →1 min readA general look at how referrals usually reach a recruiter, and what you can do to help.
Read the guide →1 min readA CV that makes your referrer's job easy: clear, specific and matched to the role.
Read the guide →1 min readFive quick checks that make your request clearer and more likely to get a yes.
Read the guide →1 min readA referral can get your CV read. These steps help you make the most of the conversation that follows.
Read the guide →1 min readShort, sincere ways to thank the person who referred you, whatever the outcome.
Read the guide →1 min readTwo routes into a company, and how they differ in who you deal with and what to expect.
Read the guide →1 min readPractical places to look for an employee who may be willing to refer you.
Read the guide →1 min readMake sure the profile your referrer might look at supports your CV.
Read the guide →1 min readA short checklist for when someone offers to talk before they refer you.
Read the guide →1 min readA pass or a no from the company is not the end. Here is how to learn from it and keep going.
Read the guide →1 min readGeneral tips if you have had a break from work and want to ask for a referral.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to ask for a short conversation first, so a later referral request feels natural.
Read the guide →1 min readSimple dos and don'ts that keep you on good terms with the person helping you.
Read the guide →1 min readA short routine for learning enough about a company to write a specific, credible request.
Read the guide →1 min readA simple three-column method to compare a job description with your own experience.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to reconnect with someone you used to work with, and ask in a way that is easy for them.
Read the guide →1 min readWhen and how to share progress after someone refers you, without nagging.
Read the guide →1 min readThe order of applying and asking for a referral, with the plain trade-offs.
Read the guide →1 min readThe plain trade-offs between asking by email and asking on LinkedIn, with a short template for each.
Read the guide →1 min readWhat a referrer usually wants to see from someone going for an analytics or data role, and how to show it.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to make a clear case for a product role, even if your background is somewhere else.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to present your engineering experience clearly so a referrer can say yes with confidence.
Read the guide →1 min readWhat to expect once someone has put you forward, and how to stay organised without chasing.
Read the guide →1 min readGentle, practical ways to ask for a referral if reaching out feels uncomfortable, with one very short template.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to show a referrer that you keep things running well, in operations, strategy and other business roles.
Read the guide →1 min readWhat to send with a referral request for a design role: a focused portfolio, one or two case studies and a short note.
Read the guide →1 min readWhat to put in a request for a finance or fintech role, and how to describe regulated or confidential work without sharing anything you should not.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to frame experience from a different field in a short note so a referrer can see why you fit.
Read the guide →1 min readWhat to say about location, time zones and working patterns when you ask for a referral to a remote or hybrid role.
Read the guide →1 min readWhen and how to send a thank-you and a check-in after an interview, without pressure.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to use a warm introduction well: ask your contact to introduce you, and make it easy for them.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to describe your results and relationships honestly when you ask for a referral to a sales or customer-facing role.
Read the guide →1 min readA calm, practical look at silence after a referral request: what it can mean, when to follow up and when to move on.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to show campaign, content or channel work in a short request, using your own real results and no invented figures.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to describe hiring, people or HR work in a short request, with care for confidentiality.
Read the guide →1 min readA short, kind guide to describing time away from work plainly, on a CV, on LinkedIn and in a message.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to choose a few good questions to ask your interviewers, with examples by theme.
Read the guide →1 min readWhat changes when you ask at a smaller firm, where there may be no referral portal or bonus, and how to adapt your request.
Read the guide →1 min readEarly-career routes in, from internships to first roles.
How to ask for a referral with little work experience, and how to make a short note do the heavy lifting.
Read the guide →2 min readHow students can ask for internship referrals, and what to include.
Read the guide →1 min readHow referrals fit alongside the usual graduate scheme application process.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to find people from your school or university who work where you want to, and how to approach them politely.
Read the guide →1 min readGeneral guidance for international candidates. Not legal advice.
General tips for international candidates. Not legal or immigration advice.
Read the guide →1 min readHow to ask for a referral when you live in another country or time zone, and how to be clear about your right to work.
Read the guide →1 min readWriting good notes and understanding referral schemes.
For employees: how to write the note that accompanies a referral so the recruiter reads it.
Read the guide →1 min readA general explanation of referral schemes. Every company's rules are different, so check the policy.
Read the guide →1 min readFor employees who refer: a quick routine for notes that recruiters actually act on.
Read the guide →1 min readFor employees: a kind, quick way to decline when you cannot or would rather not refer someone.
Read the guide →1 min readA short checklist for employees: what makes a referral note weaker, and how to fix it quickly.
Read the guide →1 min readFor employees: a quick, fair checklist for deciding whether to refer, so requests don't pile up.
Read the guide →1 min readNew graduate? Start here. Need sponsorship? Visa sponsorship hub. Glossary. RSS feed.