Ep 169| 10 Strategies to get Job referrals from Strangers and your known circle

More than 80% of the job is got through referrals. One of the study by LinkedIn has found that according to a study by Jobvide, 40% of the hires come from referrals, making it one of the most effective job search strategies. Even LinkedIn suggests that candidates who are referred are up to four times more likely to be hired. So what does it really mean? Job referral is something like a process. You need to know how to approach and you need to know how to get it referred.

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If you are in that zone, this podcast is going to have a greater knowledge and the value for you. Take a lot of notes. Let's jump into this podcast. Welcome guys. Welcome. Thank you for staying tuning in with me in this podcast, Design for Change. And today we have a very interesting topic to discuss. Importance of job referrals.

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How do you really network with your fellow designers or even your known circle people or even freshers or Strange people in LinkedIn or any social media platform you really connect with? Okay, let me first give you why it is very crucial for a designers to really connect. It's a very, very unique field, guys. Design is a very small niche market and you know what, there are unique challenges which designers really face in that you have to definitely understand without help and support of others, you won't be able to get ahead. Let's say if you have a freelancing opportunity, let's say you need lot of job referrals and projects and all these things. Without having a good contact and a community support, it's much difficult to get there.

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And you know what, the role of networking has been really, really high in design more than in any other places. That's why you need to have a good mentorship program or a good community program or a good seniors who can really guide you. Or you can join in any kind of a subscription based program for being a part of that place. So what you have, what you will have it, you will have a lot of people to really network with. It's not just you are just taking help from them. See, I'll tell you there is a good strategy when it comes to getting referral. First you need to be willing to help them in a lot more sense.

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Always have. The strategy universe will give you more when you give in. Surplus universe will always help you when you tell to help lot of people.

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So just be the first one who is going to offer them a help before you getting. Are you asking for a job referral? Okay, I'll give you some strategies okay, See connecting with the new people on LinkedIn, it's little crucial. So what you can do is you can able to have a good updated profile. You can first what you call build a good profile picture. Good. What you call good summary description and very good post in your design. What you call topic or in your any other what you call media. If you have like let's say if you have a YouTube video or if you have any Instagram post or Twitter, just try to pin it in your LinkedIn page with a careful. What do you call confirmation. Like it it's not to be like in a very unprofessional way. It should be a very proper professional design related stuff. And when you have updated all these things and when you go and connect with the new people, they will get a trust for it.

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They'll have a good interest for you, they'll have a mutual connections for you. So it is very vital to first update your profile page before going and asking for a new person to get started referred. Okay, just don't have your profiles just like that and then go for it. Second is you need to have approach with existing contacts. See already you have a lot of people in your contact on an average. My mentor used to say everybody knows 250 people at any point of time. Anybody even if they're rich, wealthy, poor, anywhere. Okay, any people knows 250 people in and around them. Take a list out of it. Create an Excel sheet. Write down who is really crucial for you to get help job. Maybe that friend is not in your field but he can able to help with another friend who can able to give you a good job referral and design. So understand this cruciality. Make an Excel sheet. Create that contact with that person and try to give a message or a follow up or a call in order to ask for a specific request for referral.

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Highlight your qualities, highlight your education and show that. Let's say if you're targeting a particular industry, if you wanted to really ask them certain like let's say if your friend is working in a Dell or a HP design studio somewhere, okay, just tell them hey, I like Dell for this this reasons. I like Dell because of the work life balance. I like Dell because they really value designers in a more balanced way. They give a creativity and the business equal perspective and they have a good work life balance and they have a good bonuses and performance and salary pay. So I'm really interested to go and work there. Can you please refer me see how good it is. Let me give you Guys, any company who their employee is referring someone, they'll be paid with referral bonus. So don't think twice before asking for a referral. People are also getting benefit because of you. But the point is you need to build that trust. Then and only they will be able to refer you for a proper appropriate role. Or else they'll just ignore you. Why would they say hi to you?

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And their face value is also affected if you do any problem in the job tomorrow later. That is why guys HRS really have a lot of trust in their own employees when they refer some people and they even pay, you know what 25,000 to 50,000 people pay you as a referral bonus when you are referring an MNC or a corporate organization. So imagine guys more than that amount of HR and their industry is paying in order to get a good candidate for their industry. So for them paying 25,50,000 is not a problem. But they needed a good candidate.

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Okay. Now let's say if you're approaching for your senior level people, CEO or a very strategic individual, see, tailor your approach first. First where you wanted to target in the Excel sheet. Keep it very clear where you wanted to target it.

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In the next sheet you can create another page seeing strategic people, CEO, high level people. First you can create a known people. Second, you can put a strategic people. And third page you can create a new people, strange people in LinkedIn and other places.

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So first if you wanted to approach a strange like a CEO or a strategic people, tailor your approach based on individual position and try to build a relationship with them. Show your energy and enthusiasm. Like anything guys, people love you for their energy, for your energy. It's not because of your qualities or qualifications or you did in IIT J this, that, this that is. Okay, guys, that's a very, very small thing. The moment when you show some energy and enthusiasm, people will have a lot more connect with you.

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And express how your referral could benefit both of these parties. If you don't have this value proposition ready, please don't talk with any of them.

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I repeat you once. If you're able to clearly formulate a application where they are also going to get benefit and you are also going to get benefit, then go and approach them. Or else if you just say hi and if they turn back and if you don't have anything to say, what will you do? That leads me to the next point. You have to create a very good elevator pitch.

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Elevator pitch is like when you're going in an elevator how much time does it take? 30 to 40 seconds. If you can able to convince your new stranger somebody in 30 to 40 seconds why you wanted to really connect with that people, then they are not going to turn up for you. Because the attention span of the people is like that. If you're, if you're taking the conversation beyond that, probably they will be getting lost or maybe they'll lose the interest or something like they're not worried about you. If 30 seconds you are able to concisely put your skills, your experience, your career goals to use it as a proper elevator pitch showing their value proposition what they will get. Definitely they'll be able to help you for conversation and further referral. Guys, see deliver your pitch confidently and very naturally. Don't just fake it out, okay? A lot of people do a big faking out here. That's not the point. So I'll give you some tips and suggestions how you can start getting referrals.

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So first of all let me tell you guys, these are some tips, okay? I've not still gone into the 10 strategies, just tips. Definitely thank them a lot. Express your deep gratitude. Don't just say thank you. Thank you just like that in your word. Deeply express. Sir, you have really helped me a lot. I'm thank you so much and I'm really glad. You know what? Now I'm getting 1 lakh per month salary which is because of you. I'm really, really grateful. At any point of time, don't hesitate to call me. I'd be a great, great help for you. See it looks more than a thank you, right? So express your gratitude. Show always offering you value in written and follow it up professionally. Guys, a lot of people don't do this. Why I asked you to create an Excel sheet because you can able to send some seasonal messages, you can able to forward some good design content and information and if you found like let's say if they're a senior person and if you found any senior level roles in LinkedIn and all you can able to refer them in your company. If any senior role is vacant, you can able to tell them hey, in my company there is an opportunity. You want referral? See, they would be 100 times happier. Hey, this guy is responding. Yeah, we help and this guy is now helping. So understand this point guys, okay? You have to express gratitude. You have to offer them value in return, follow them professionally and genuinely build a relationship. See guys, if you're not able to do this, I'll tell you what will happen. People will just See that you're using them, that's it. You know what society for Human resource management shows 80% of the jobs are filled through referrals and networking. And there are a lot of studies which has found in Harvard Business Review it's really good to important, I mean it's very important to have a job referral for you getting hired very fast in the industry rather than starting up as a fresh. Okay, so it's very, very vital, guys, now you know the scientific facts and you know the stat and then you know the nuances and other things, right? Let me give you now the 10 strategies how you can ask for a referral, okay? Before going into that, let me give you another what you call format for you, okay? Because if you have this format, if you have the tips, whatever I told you, you'll be able to have a better clear pitch guys, okay? Have a patience because I mean I know it's going beyond 10, what do you call 10 minutes, but I mean I'm sure if you really take this points in a very serious way, okay? And if you take an action Properly, I'm hundred percent sure in next 30 days you can build 30 meaningful connections out of which two or three turned out to become a job proposal for you or a freelancing proposal for you, or a design consulting opportunity for you. Anything guys, it doesn't matter. The power of networking is really huge. Lot of people don't understand it. Okay, so first tailor your message clearly. Focus on the value proposition, make it very easy for them to help and respect their time. First, okay, have these conditions ready because if you're not having these conditions ready, it will become a big problem for you.

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So the very first strategy, what I would like to address you is you need to be very careful when you are taking your LinkedIn profile, which I've already told you, you have to write your skills, experience, achievements, everything ready. Second is actively engage in LinkedIn, share relevant contents and posts, participate in industry groups to increase visibility, solve some of the other problems which people are asking, connect with lot of professionals in your field, engage them with a good, good what you call content and information so that they can able to get a help from you. Don't just be a, what you call taker, always be a giver. I already told you in the start of this podcast, the more you give to the universe, the more you will get, okay? I mean don't think of that, that you're going to get something just mindlessly, without any expectation. Just give, give, give the moment when you are tuning into that mindset. Abundance will come into your life, guys, okay? Because I've seen that, okay? And I did that. That's the reason I'm able to resonate with until today I'm doing that. I've read one of the book called Dale Carnegie. The author name is Dale Carnegie. It's like how to influence and talk with others. It's one of the amazing book which has really changed my life. Just change and flipped my perspective towards dealing with others. Because when you are able to deal with others, you will be able to really reap a lot of benefits for you. People who have lot of people skills are really getting paid high. Their quality of life and their relationships and their health and their wealth, everything is going to bloom like anything. Because the way in which you deal with others matters most, okay? People who do that, they become CEOs. People who don't do that, they end up working for them like a laborers. Again, there's nothing wrong in doing it. But if you wanted to really become that level of position, you need to understand this fact, okay? Third is do a research and target the companies. Don't just blindly do it. I already told you. You can able to create an Excel sheet. Understand their mission, vision, value, culture and their current openings and their pay scale and the training and support system. And try to have a very good data before you go and talk to them. Research it out. Talk to their alumni's Connect in LinkedIn. Some of the people are working there. So this is a very, very important step, guys. Okay, let me repeat. You first optimize your LinkedIn profile. Second is engage actively in LinkedIn through content and post and everything. Third is research and target companies. And fourth is attend networking and conferences. Attend a lot, guys. I already explained you this. But don't do attend. Attend as much as possible as you want because you will find new people. You will be very proactive in exchanging some information which other people don't have. Fifth is utilize the power of your alumni network. No matter where you study, let's say if you study in a mentorship program or maybe in a college or somewhere else, no problem. Try to talk to their alumni. Try to talk with the other people who can able to give you a lot more contacts and details and information so that you can precisely find what's really happening in the market.

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The sixth is provide your value first. Offer assistance and share your resources with professionals in your network before you asking for a referral. I always told you you have to first ask them for what help you need build a mutual beneficial relationship like you are the best friend of them or you are going to be the great support and a brother or a sister for them so that you can able to talk to them with that genuine support in your heart. When you are able to provide that value, first let me tell you guys, you will truly earn a person with you. That's why what you have to do is every single day at least talk with five different people in LinkedIn, five to 10 people and just honestly do a research about them or their company and send a proposal on the format, whatever I told you, right? It's a very simple format, guys, okay, I just told you four different steps. Prepare an offer value in return, express your gratitude, build a genuine relationship, follow it with them very professionally. If you're able to do this, what will happen is you will have a greater clarity in what you're going to ask, what you're going to propose. Like let's say if you're making a new connection on LinkedIn. So briefly explain about your background, your interest in your company. Mention some mutual connections if you have because they will have a good trust on you. Express your interest, why you really interested in that opportunity. If you're looking for a senior level guy, be careful about highlighting your design career profession, your successes and their successes and mention why your interest is on a specific job opening. If you're not specific, they will not be able to help out you guys because the more generic you are, people will sense you that people will know that you are. You're not really having a proper channelized approach. Okay, so be careful with when you talk to a strategic level people and the seventh is customize your outreach. See, personalize your messages when you're reaching to referral. Don't just have a one copy paste format and put everything to anybody. Use ChatGPT in a very careful way and use Google Bard also in a specific way and create a very compelling and good, good what you call pitch. Very short, crisp, clear pitch. You can give a Google, you can give a prompt to ChatGPT saying Hey, can you give me a very good elevator pitch? I have to talk to Dell CEO. Being a product designer, I need to get a job from them. Can you just give me the moment when you ask stat? GPT is going to give you some concepts but don't just take it raw. Use your common sense, use your current skills, use your own personality and professionalism and your own novel idea and mix it with that strategy of what ChatGPT is giving and then Provide that pitch because just taking that raw data from ChatGPT is not going to have any impact. It is your career, it's your skills, it's your own way of pitching and it needs to be unique. Chat GPT can assist you can give you some information.

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So be careful about it. Eight is ask for a referral strategically. See, after done after doing all the seven steps, ask for it very strategically. Okay? Be clear and specific on what role you're asking, what job you wanted and how that individual can really help. Some people can able to help you with referral. Some some people can able to help you give more information about the company. See, both are important. Some people will not able to refer you because they are working in different organization, but they can able to give you provide good information. Okay Jagdish, this company earlier worked. This is a detail, this is about it. The work life is like this. The salary is like this. Though the training and support system is like to see this is valuable. You need to be very strategic and please always express your gratitude. I already told you regardless of the outcome. Okay? Ninth and very important thing is be a good guy who is following up with the people. Guys, lot of people miss this step. See when you're doing this referral thing, it's very, very, very vital to really have a great, great follow up. If you're not doing follow up, let me tell you, whatever you learned so far in this podcast is not going to have any impact. You should not expect people will just turn up to you today and tomorrow you'll get a job and then you can forget everything. No, send send them a message seasonally. Talk to them if you needed to, just greet them, ask how's their family, ask hey, I'm coming by that side. Can I just have a word with you? Can I have a coffee with you? I really wanted to take you for a dinner once because you did a lot of what you call help to me. So people will be really happy to engage in that. So you have to be that guy who is really having a polite nature to follow it up. Okay, so 10th is maintain that relationship forever. Don't just lose the people. Have somewhere in your social media, have somewhere in your Facebook, have somewhere in your telegram or whatever social media you're using. Make sure you follow it up with them and build that relationship. If you follow this last 10 steps, what have I told you guys? You're gonna get a huge referrals with strangers, fresher strategic people. And every single day if you connect with five to 10 people. Let me tell you guys, you are gonna make at least two connections per day. At least one connection per day. Let's take it that way. Consistently if you do it for 21 to 30 days, you will get a meaningful 30 connections. And out of 30 connections, like let's say if 10 percentage people turn up, three people are giving you a proper response. You know what? You would have got three interviews. If you have a proper strategic skill in order to crack the interview, you would have got one. So you don't need a portfolio, guys. You don't need a resume. You just need a right attitude and an intention. A good enthusiasm and energy to really connect with people who wants you. If you're able to do it, there is nothing to stop you guys. Okay, so let me Repeat you the ten strategies again. Optimize your LinkedIn profile. Engage actively in LinkedIn with your post. Research and target about the companies. Attend networking events and conferences. Utilize the power of alumni support. Provide your value first. Customize your outreach. Have a very careful messaging. Ask for a reference, strategically follow it up and maintain that relationship. If you're able to do this guys, I'm sure you'll be able to get a great benefit. If you need my support in doing it, definitely you can send an email to DFC Design for Change which is given in the description and I'll be able to happily help you out guys. Because let me tell you, this is not an easy process. You can do it alone. It may seem easy, but when you do it, lot of course correction will come. At first, you will not get results. At first, people will not respond to you. So there is a way to strategically approach it. If you needed that, I would highly, highly recommend you. You join my program and I'll help you out. Or if you need at least a one to one support, I give for few listeners in this podcast a free one to one session to give them a great clarity. Some of them have attended this one to one session and got results. So write to that if you need that one to one support. Also to that same email. Maybe if you're a selected winner, we'll be helping out to you guys.

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So thank you so much guys. Take care. All the best. If you find this content useful in Spotify and Apple, give me a best star rating. Okay, we'll catch you in another episode. Bye. By.