Referrals help applications get read, but asking for one feels awkward because candidates imagine imposing on a contact. The awkwardness disappears when you make the request easy: name one specific role, give one reason you fit it, and attach everything the referrer needs. The referrer then forwards, rather than doing homework on your behalf.
Making the ask easy
- Pick one role, not a list, so the referrer knows exactly what to forward and to whom.
- Write two lines on why you fit, tied to the role's stated requirements, not to your general qualities.
- Attach an updated resume and the job link, so the referrer needs no follow-up from you.
- Accept a no gracefully, and thank them either way, since the relationship matters more than one referral.
Refer people in return when you can. A network that only takes eventually stops giving.