I receive a number of sincere direct messages (DM) almost every day, asking for referrals to Salesforce, Microsoft, or my networks.
I truly empathise with the context of job search more than anyone, as for five years in a row, every single day, my students at all levels in the product school went through it. I lived in the center of their pain. It is not the job search that is painful but the silence and rejection associated. Layoffs and the stigma associated is worse. You're not alone in this.
During this period, we often reach out frantically to every possible contact, including friends, community members, and even people we don’t know through cold DMs.
Hang in there; job search takes time. Do the right things, and the right outcomes will follow.
As a hiring manager, let me give you a glimpse of what happens on the other side.
When you see a job ad, know that it is a result of the respective hiring manager working constantly on headcounts and investments through the year.
We usually get lesser than what we ask for. Resource constraints is how economics works and that is not going to change. So every headcount is precious. We want to fill the headcount with the best talent available on planet earth. Also note, all headcount are available for a limited window. A hiring manager must fill the headcount in that window as it can be taken away anytime.
When we start hiring we do so fervently. You might have seen hiring managers themselves posting about the open position. We do everything possible to get the word out to the right talent. Sometimes we get the word out in inner circle before the ad appears here. I have had/seen positions filled even before they go out as an ad. When supply is more than the demand, the org wins and vice versa.
So, when you ask for a referral without any specific position, I struggle to figure out the best path forward. Questions like what positions are open, who is hiring, what grade/band etc.
The second struggle is what will I tell the hiring manager/recruiter about you. I need to know something about you to speak on your behalf. Otherwise, your application via the website carries the same weight as my referral. The impact is low.
The third struggle is, despite referrals you'll still go through the rigorous hiring process. You may clear all stages, only to face a hiring freeze or pause, or to find the position has been filled by someone else who had a better fitment. It's a cycle.
While the willingness to help is there, our struggles inside the organization is different. Constantly following up after submitting your resume doesn’t help. Your referees are as helpless as you are. Empathy is there but action is usually outside our locus of control.
Let me tell you this: when a requisition is open, the hiring team is buzzing. If I am quiet, it means I don’t have a requisition 😔
We will discuss some tips and tricks on right things to do tomorrow 😇
