If you have been sending application after application and hearing nothing back, you are not doing it wrong. Job boards are crowded, screening is often automated, and a good CV can disappear in a pile of hundreds. Meanwhile, plenty of roles are filled by someone who was recommended, introduced or simply remembered at the right moment.
That is not a reason to stop applying. It is a reason to spend part of every week on the people you already know.
Why people beat applications
When someone you know passes your name on, three things change at once:
- You get read. A message from a colleague is opened. An application from a stranger may never reach a person.
- You arrive with trust. The hiring manager already has a reason to think you might be good, because someone they know said so.
- You hear about roles early. Many jobs are discussed inside a team long before they are advertised, and some never are.
Your weaker ties matter most
In the 1970s the sociologist Mark Granovetter studied how people found their jobs and noticed something surprising: useful leads often came from acquaintances rather than close friends. He called it “the strength of weak ties”.
It makes sense when you think about it. Your closest friends tend to know the same people and hear the same news as you. A former colleague you have not spoken to in three years, someone from your course, or a person you met on a project moves in different circles. They know about different teams, different companies and different openings.
Most of us have hundreds of these connections sitting quietly on LinkedIn. They are the most under-used part of a job search.
Who to start with
You do not need to message everyone. Start with a short list of people who are well placed to help with the job you actually want:
- People at your target employers, in any role. They can tell you what the team is like and who to speak to.
- People in the role you want, anywhere. They can share how they got there and who is hiring.
- People you have worked closely with, who can vouch for your work.
- Recruiters and talent teams in your sector, who see roles before they are public.
Five or six thoughtful messages a week will usually do more than fifty applications.
Ask for something small and specific
The easiest way to get a yes is to make the request clear and light. “Can you help me find a job?” is hard to answer. These are easy:
- Would you be open to introducing me to the person who leads the team?
- Could I ask you a couple of questions about what it’s like to work there?
- Would you be happy to pass my name on if a role comes up?
Say how you know them, say what you are looking for in a sentence, and make your ask. Then thank them, whatever the answer.
Keep track, and follow up once
People are busy, and a missed message is rarely a no. If you have not heard back after a few days, one friendly follow-up is fine. After that, let it go and move on to the next person.
It helps to keep a simple record of who you have written to, who replied, who introduced you to whom, and what happened next. When an introduction turns into an interview, you will know exactly who to thank.
Where Connext Work comes in
Connext Work was built for exactly this. Bring in your LinkedIn connections, tell it the job you want, and it shows you the people best placed to help, why each one is a good fit, and what to ask them. It helps you write the message in your own voice, and keeps track of what happens next.
Your next job may well be one introduction away. The hard part is knowing who to ask, and that part we can help with.
