In today’s highly competitive job market, candidates will do anything to stand out in a sea of resumes. And we mean anything. 👀 Like paying up to $50 to have someone you’ve never met refer you for your dream job, as per Bloomberg. Having a personal referral gives you a 1 in 25 chance of being hired, according to hiring platform Greenhouse, while external applicants only have a 1 in 200 chance, so no wonder people are extra thirsty to find a way in.
But what if you don’t know anyone at the company? Instead of “wasting time” cold DM-ing potential connections on LinkedIn, scheduling coffee chats, and nurturing relationships for months (years, even!) in hopes of getting a job referral, just shell out some cold, hard cash. Is it ethical? Probably not. But is it intriguing? Most definitely. |
Would You Pay A Stranger to Give You a Job Referral? |
The TL;DR (and prices) on the referral marketplaces and platforms out there: • Blind: Free
• Glassdoor Job Referrals Forum: Free • Refer Me: $12/month for unlimited referral requests • Refermarket: Prices vary from $3 to $50 per referral, plus a $29.99/month premium plan
• ReferralHub: Prices vary from $10 to $50 per referral, depending on the company
• Referral Finder: $12/month to automate outreach messages on LinkedIn
Before you ask, “Is this allowed?” According to most of these sites’ FAQs, it is. They’re just called “courtesy referrals.” But reps from Goldman Sachs and Google disagree. They told Bloomberg that referrals must be based on personal knowledge of candidates in their network. Tell that to the guy who’s made $30,000 giving employee referral bonuses to strangers (who’s cited in the article). Talk about a risky side hustle!
So, let’s say you do land a job interview for this coveted position and the hiring manager asks, “So, how do you know [insert employee you’ve never met who you paid to get a referral]?” We’re not recommending that you lie in a job interview, but even if you do, and the truth comes out in a few months at your new job, your reputation is tainted in a matter of seconds. Good luck bouncing back from that.
So is it worth the risk? Hell no. Guess we’ll just go back to the LinkedIn DMs. 🤷♀️
📣 We want to hear from you! Have you ever been referred for a job? What are your thoughts on job referrals? Would you pay a stranger to refer you to your dream company? Tell us (submissions are always anonymous) and your answer could be featured in an upcoming newsletter. |
Interview prep: “So, tell me about yourself?”
One of the first and most common interview questions you’ll be asked can also be one of the most daunting. “Tell me about yourself” is a blank canvas for you to say anything, but narrowing it down to the right points is key to avoiding rambling or a generic response. Style Nine to Five career expert Christie Lohr shares her tips on how to answer this classic interview question.
🦜 Choose your talking points. Before you go into your interview, have an idea of the topics you want to cover when introducing yourself. Take your pick from each of these buckets to create the formula for a winning response.
• Personality: Your traits that mirror what the role needs, why you admire the company, or what about you as a person is drawn to this role. • Professional goals: How this job aligns with your career aspirations, how working with their team will fulfill your desire for a new challenge, or why you’re changing industries. • Personal touch: How you like to spend your weekends or a little-known fact about you—anything that makes you relatable and uniquely you.
💡 Offer fresh information. This is not the time to recite your resume or repeat the same details from your cover letter. Yawn! Instead, tell the hiring manager things they don’t already know about you, so you’re using your answer to enhance their impression of you.
⚖️ Strike a balance. This question isn’t just restricted to talking about yourself as a professional—you can share information that touches on your personal interests too. The best answers to this question offer the hiring manager a holistic picture of who you are as a person.
☀️ Be yourself. Even though interviews are stressful, they’re also a time to let your personality—and what makes you unique—shine through. 🪢 Tie everything together. Express your genuine passion and excitement for the role and wrap up by bringing the attention back to the main topic: why you’re the best candidate for the job.
Is 2025 your year for a new career? Set your job search up for success with Style Nine to Five’s Get Hired in Your Dream Job Workbook. 🚀
Got a job-hunting question for Christie? Drop it here (submissions are anonymous), and the answer to your q could be featured in an upcoming newsletter.
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Dearest gentle reader… while there is no salacious gossip about the ton (and their scandalously pearl-clutching behavior behind gilded doors) in 1440’s free daily newsletter, there is something even better: fact-based, unbiased news. *Fans herself.*
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