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Resilient Leaders
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How to Ask for Introductions When Your Job Search Feels Stuck
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You're applying to roles every week. Good. Keep doing that. But if you're only applying, you're missing half the strategy.
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Most jobs get filled through a combination of posted roles and internal referrals. You need both. Applications get you in the system. Conversations get you in front of the hiring manager. This is about how to have those conversations without feeling like you're begging for favors.
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Start with five people who already know your work
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Look through your contacts and pick five people who know you're good at your job. Former managers, peers, vendors, classmates who ended up in your target industry. If they've worked with you and saw you do good work, they're on the list.
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Write the introduction for them
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Most people want to help but don't know what to say. So you write it for them:
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"This is [Your Name]. We worked together at [Company] and they were the one who finally got our ops team and finance team to talk to each other. They're looking for roles in tech operations."
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"I want to introduce you to [Your Name]. They rebuilt our content strategy in six months and we tripled our traffic. They're exploring roles at B2B SaaS companies."
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These don't sound like LinkedIn summaries because they aren't. They sound like one person vouching for another. Put this in your message so your contact can copy it.
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Ask for a conversation, not a job
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Message each person individually. Remind them how you know each other, then ask something specific:
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"I'm looking at roles in product operations and saw you've been at [Company] for a while. Do you know anyone on your product team I could talk to about how they handle ops?"
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"I'm exploring L&D roles and noticed your company just launched a new leadership program. Would you introduce me to whoever runs that? I want to understand how they built it."
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You're asking to learn. That's easier for someone to say yes to than asking them to get you a job.
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Once someone introduces you, stay in motion
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Thank the person who made the introduction within a day. When you meet the new contact, ask about their work before you talk about yourself. What matters to them? What problems keep them up at night? Then talk about what you do. End every conversation by asking who else you should talk to.
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At the end of each week, look at what happened. Who responded? What did you say that got a reply? Which conversations went somewhere? Then send five more messages.
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If someone doesn't respond after a week, send one short follow up. If they still don't reply, move on. Not everyone will answer, and that's normal. Focus on the ones who do.
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Post publicly once
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Write one public post. People who know you but didn't realize you were looking will see it and think of someone:
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"I'm looking for my next role in learning and development. If you know team leads or CHROs building leadership programs, I'd appreciate an introduction."
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"I'm exploring operations roles at early stage startups. If you know founders or COOs trying to scale without chaos, send them my way."
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One post reaches people you forgot about.
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This is how people actually get hired
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I've watched people land roles at companies like Airtable and Dropbox by doing exactly this. Not because they had a perfect resume. Because they talked to someone who then said, "You should meet my manager."
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Pick one person right now and send them a message today. The role you want might be two conversations away.
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Applied Intuition: 190 roles open in the US
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Applied Intuition is the vehicle intelligence company that accelerates the global adoption of safe, AI-driven machines. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion following its recent Series F funding round, Applied Intuition delivers the Vehicle OS, Self-Driving System, and toolchain to help customers build intelligent vehicles and shorten time to market.
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18 of the top 20 global automakers and major programs across the Department of Defense trust Applied Intuition's solutions to deliver vehicle intelligence. The company services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining, and agriculture industries and is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Diego, Ann Arbor, London, Stuttgart, Munich, Stockholm, Bangalore, Seoul, and Tokyo.
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Tomorrow: I'll send you a list of 10 companies hiring right now.
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Resilient Leaders by Jacqueline Twillie
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Helping professionals navigate career transitions and job searches with practical, proven strategies.
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