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c/careers u/devlk Team

How do I get a referral if I don't know anyone at the company?

Team FAQ: this question comes up often, so we've answered it below. Add your own experience, or a different view, in the comments.

Referrals clearly help, but what if you have no contacts at the companies you want to join?

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devlk Team·

You can build the connection. Just do it respectfully and make it easy for people to help you.

  1. Find the right people: search LinkedIn for engineers (not only recruiters) at the company, ideally in the team you're applying to, or people who went to your university.
  2. Send a short, specific message. For example:

Hi [name], I'm a backend developer applying for the [role] at [company]. I noticed you work on [team/product]. Could I ask two quick questions about how the team works? If you think I'd be a good fit after that, I'd really appreciate a referral, but no pressure at all.

  1. Make it effortless: include your CV, the job link and a two-line summary of why you fit.
  2. Engage before asking: comment thoughtfully on their posts, contribute to their open-source projects, or meet them at meetups and online communities.
  3. Accept "no" gracefully. Many people will happily refer someone they've actually talked to, but not a stranger who only sent a CV.

Many companies pay employees a referral bonus, so a good referral helps them too.

Make sure your CV is ready first: how to write a developer CV that gets interviews.

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