Include references in cover letter or resume

If you know someone at a company or someone with a strong connection to a company, it can be helpful to mention them in your cover letter when you apply for a job.

Having a referral can help you stand out from the crowd when you're job searching, and including the referral in your cover letter can help get your application noticed by the hiring manager.

How do you say you were referred by someone for a job

Cover letter examples

Job application letter with reference person

How to say you were referred by someone in an email sample

How to put referral in resume

Mentioning that you're referred by someone is like getting an employment reference in advance. Hiring managers and recruiters will likely take a closer look at candidates with whom they share a mutual contact, and for good reason: Studies have shown hiring through employee referrals results in faster, cheaper, more effective hiring than relying on job sites.

Applicants with a referral are four times more likely to be offered a job than candidates without one.

Referral hires also tend to get up to speed more quickly, fit in better, and stay with the company longer. Referrals can also give the hiring manager additional context on a candidate and their work background.