Networking is an activity as old as time. The statement “it’s who you know, not what you know” has always had some truth to it.

So what does networking do for us in the context of recruiting? The goal of networking for applicants is to gain referrals. What is a referral. It is essentially someone already working at a company validating that you would be a good hire.

Referrals increase the odds that your application will be seen by a recruiter or hiring manager and ultimately give you a boost in the hiring process.

So how do we go about this? We leverage the alumni networks that we have. For most of us that will the University of Michigan and any clubs / fraternities you are in.

If you have no existing connections to anyone at [X] company you are recruiting for:

1. Go to LinkedIn.
2. Go to the company you want a referral for.
3. Ask for a coffee chat.
   1. In your message introduce who you are.
   2. Mention what you have in common.
   3. Ask for 30 minutes of their time (it should not take actually 30 minutes )

This is an example of how I messaged alumni to gain the opportunity to coffee chat them for referrals.

Send 10-15 messages like this, and if you get lucky you will get a response or two.

Now you have a coffee chat. Promptly schedule a meeting with them on google calendar. So now what do you during the coffee chat?

You need to come prepared with a set of 10-15 possible questions. It is likely that you will not end up using all of these. The key here is to seem genuinely interested in what they do, and at the end ask them if there is anything they can do to help your application.

If you are a likable person, the answer is likely that they can give you a referral. Send them your best resume. Now you have a referral at that company!