Getting a referral as a new graduate

Graduate roles attract a lot of applications, and a CV with limited experience is easy to skim past. A referral gets a person inside the company to look at yours properly. You don't need a long career to ask for one; you need a clear, specific request.

Ask people who are open to graduates

Not every employee can or will refer someone without experience. On Doorstep, look for the “Graduates welcome” badge: those referrers have said they are happy to hear from people with 0–2 years of experience.

What to put in your note

• The exact role or graduate scheme you are applying for.
• One or two concrete things you have done that match it: a project, a dissertation, an internship, a society role, a part-time job.
• A skill the role asks for and where you used it (for example, “I used SQL to analyse survey data for my dissertation”).
• Why this company, in one sentence. Specific beats enthusiastic.

Make your CV easy to scan

• Put your most relevant project or experience near the top, not your school grades.
• Describe what you did and the result, not just the title.
• Keep it to one page and save it as a PDF.

If the answer is no

A pass with a reason is useful. Use the tip to adjust your CV or note, then try a referrer at another company who refers for the same role. You get three applications a week, so choose the ones where you match the must-haves.

International students: if you will need visa sponsorship, say so up front and read our guide on referrals and visa sponsorship. This is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice.