Name-Dropping in a Cover Letter: Referral and Everything About It
You’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, and student loans into learning the ropes of your profession. Now’s the time to apply this knowledge to your dream job. The only problem is—you cannot seem to get one. Writing a great referral cover letter is a good first step. If there’s a surefire way to get ahead in business, it’s with the help of other people.
Hard work and dedication are important steps on the ladder to success—being well-connected is right up there with them. What is a cover letter? What should it contain? Should you mention a referral in it? Luckily, many have gone through the application process before you—get your answers and follow in their footsteps.
What Is a Cover Letter, and Why Is It Important?
Say you’ve stumbled upon a job ad that checks all the boxes. The pay is great, you’d do what you love doing, and the coffee won’t taste like it’s been sitting there since the company’s opening. This could be a reality. One of the best approaches to finding a job is writing a killer cover letter—a one-page document that’ll tell your future employer who you are. Is submitting a cover letter that important? Many job seekers don’t find this step necessary.
But they are not the ones calling the shots—recruiters are. 7 in 10 recruiters prefer it if candidates send in a cover letter along with a resume. They find it important to have in-depth information about the candidate—the letter helps them form a better picture of what the potential employee is like. It can make you stand out.
Your goal is to ace it. Add valuable skills that set you apart from the competition. Tell the recruiter about your previous accomplishments that are absolutely transferable to this role. Show why you fit in with the company culture (you love team buildings, right?).
Your point here is to try to connect everything you have, all your strengths, to the values that the company holds in high regard.
Should You Mention Referral in a Cover Letter?
Your qualifications are there to speak for themselves. But—connections are how we get ahead. Are you afraid that name-dropping will sound somewhat cheap or unprofessional? Spoiled even? Maybe entitled? Overcoming this feeling is important—the number one way people discover jobs is through referrals. Referral cover letters are documents in which you’ll mention a mutual contact that you share with someone at the company.
No need to feel guilty about being recommended for a role. Know that no one will vouch for you if your biggest skill is making a killer mojito (unless you’re going for a bartender role—good for you then). For your contact, this is their place of business, and their credibility might be on the line. They will only put in a good word for someone they know possesses certain qualities valuable for the company.
Source: Andrea Piacquadio
If you’re a beginner, this can be a great way to have someone take a chance on you. You’ll finally get to use that degree as more than just the space between your fridge and a magnet. Make sure that the person whose name you’re dropping is okay with that. Reach out to them and notify them that you’re looking for a job in their company. Additionally—ask for their referral number—if they have one.
Where Should You Mention a Referral in Your Cover Letter?
You’re wondering how to mention a referral in a cover letter? There’s a specific spot where you can do that!
The opening paragraph is perfect for mentioning the referral. It isn’t as information-packed as the main part, where you’ll list your skills. Additionally, you’ll set the tone for the rest of the letter right away—the recruiter will have read enough to know who you are, and adding a referral there will affect the way they’ll perceive the next sections.
There’s also the question of how to do this. You cannot merely blurt out that you know someone in the firm in a single sentence. Likewise, you also shouldn’t make your whole letter about that person. Make sure that your connection has previously reached out to the recruiter and put in a good word for you. Provided they have, do your best to explain the connection in a couple of brief sentences. If you’ve worked with your connection, emphasize it. Explain how you’ve worked well together and hope to do that in the future as well.
What Should Your Cover Letter Look Like?
Recruiters like a cover letter that’s clear, concise, and tidy. Make sure that your choice of formatting reflects that. Stick to generic fonts, one-inch margin width, and single line spacing. There’s no need to tweak the outline too much. You’ll get no points for originality here—especially if the paragraph layout doesn’t make sense. Focus on the quality of the content, not on the sparkly exterior. The more straightforward you present the facts about yourself, the easier it’ll be to read them.
Stick to these four parts:
Heading—Share Your Information
The heading is where you’ll share your basic info. Out of all the parts of your cover letter, this is the one you must not misspell—so double, triple, quadruple check your spelling. If you mess up your cell phone number or email, the recruiter might not be able to contact you.
In the top left corner, list:
- Your full name
- Your cell phone number
- Your email address
- The current date
- The company’s information
Next up, you want to address the letter kindly but professionally. Use commas to separate the greeting from the next part.
Depending on whether you know the recruiter by name or not, use these:
| You Know Their Name | You Don’t Know Their Name |
| Dear Mr. Jenkins, Dear Ms. Thompson, Dear Karen, |
Dear Hiring Manager, Dear Recruiter, To Whom It May Concern, |
Intro—Tell Them Why You’re Interested in the Role
Use the intro to show that you haven’t just stumbled upon the company and are there only to take advantage of the connection that you have. Make the recruiter see that you’re truly enthusiastic about the position.
To do that, you should:
- Customize the introduction by mentioning the specific role and company
- Introduce yourself and tell them why you’d be the perfect fit
- Show your enthusiasm for the position and the responsibilities
Don’t forget to use this space to mention your referral by name and the role they have in the company as well.
Main Part—Tell Them Why They Should Be Interested in You
Use this part of your cover letter with a referral to show that you’re the real deal. You aren’t just a friend of a friend. You’ve worked hard for this and have earned your spot—it’s only right that you get to brag a bit.
Source: cottonbro
List the skills that you deem relevant for the position. Provide the right amount of hard and soft skills—find a balance. Although the company is not focused on hiring someone who’ll smile politely and be a cheerful addition to the team but someone who’ll do the work, they also want a person that’s able to cooperate well with others.
Add your hard skills first, for effect, since they are the star of the show. Use bolding and bulleted lists to make your letter easier to read. Connect the skills that you’ve listed with the experience that’s relevant for the position. Use examples that include numbers and facts—if you’ve supervised a group of six volunteers and that makes you a great team leader, it’s important to be specific.
Closing—Leave Them Wanting More
This is the part of referral cover letters where you remind recruiters of the main points you’ve gone over. Summarize why you’d love to work there and why they’d be lucky to have you on board. You should also encourage them to call you up—not only if they want to interview you—but also if they have any questions.
Say goodbye and close the letter off appropriately. Here are some acceptable and unacceptable ways to do that:
| Acceptable | Not Acceptable |
| Best regards, Sincerely, Respectfully, |
Hugs and kisses, Best wishes, Tell Dave I owe him a drink for referring me, |
Mention your full name once again at the very end, following the sign-off. Since you’re writing a cover letter with a referral, the recruiter might already be expecting to hear from you—this is a great way to remind them of who you are.
You Have a Great Cover Letter With a Referral—What’s Next?
Even with a supportive connection inside the company and an impressive cover letter, there’s still a long way to go before you get a job. It’s not only that the chances of getting an interview are probably minimal—research shows that more than half of all applicants get rejected during the first stage of the interview.
Although the situation with unemployment has improved over the past year—the number of unemployed people went from 10,486 to 6,782—it’s still nowhere near perfect. The pandemic has created some serious setbacks and has made the job market a challenging scene. Job seekers are becoming desperate, and 40% of them are willing to work for less money.
Do you want to avoid being a part of the statistics? Lensa gives you the opportunity to do just that.
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Signing up for our app comes with:
- The option to play the Workstyle Game and learn more about your professional qualities
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Register for Lensa and Get To Work
Registering takes only a few steps—it’ll take you minutes to complete the process. Here’s what you should do:
- Visit the Lensa website
- Enter your dream job title and location
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- Hit Submit
Featured image source: ridofranz
