How to Ask for a Referral on LinkedIn

Updated on:

May 4, 2026

By:

Use this interactive demo to learn how to request a job referral from a LinkedIn connection.

Quick summary

Asking for a referral on LinkedIn involves finding the right employee at your target company and sending a short, personalized message with your resume and job link. This step-by-step process helps job seekers leverage mutual connections to increase their chances of getting hired.

Steps

Search for an employee or employees at your target company using LinkedIn's search.
Check if you have any mutual connections, such as the same school, company, shared contacts, or interactions.
Click the 'Message' button and send a short, personalized message to the employee.
Type your message in the message box and click 'Enter' to send it.
Once they respond, immediately provide the job link and your resume.

📌 Why this matters

Getting a referral on LinkedIn dramatically increases your chances of landing a job interview, as referred candidates are significantly more likely to be hired than cold applicants. LinkedIn's messaging and mutual connection features make it easy to identify warm contacts at target companies and reach out with a personalized referral request. Knowing how to navigate LinkedIn to find the right employee, check shared connections, and send a compelling message is a critical job-search skill in today's competitive hiring market. This demo shows job seekers exactly how to execute that process from start to finish.

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