Getting a referral for product roles

Product roles are often reached from other jobs, so a referrer will look for signs that you think about users, trade-offs and outcomes. A short, concrete note works better than a list of buzzwords. This is general advice, not a promise about any employer.

Lead with a decision you influenced

• Describe a problem you spotted, what options you weighed and what you chose.
• Say what you learned, including anything that did not work.
• Make clear what was your own contribution and what was the team's.

Connect it to the role

• Read the job description for the kind of product and customer it describes.
• Pick the example from your own work that is closest to it.
• Ask the referrer which parts of the role matter most before you apply.

Keep the note short

Three or four sentences and a clear CV are enough. If the referrer wants more, they will ask.