So how important are referrals really?

A very common question that we get all the time at Product Manager Dojo revolves around referrals. Many people we talk to are under the impression that the only way to land a product management interview is through a referral. So they spend a lot of time reaching out to recruiters and hiring managers on LinkedIn only to get frustrated when very few bother replying back and they barely are able to get any referrals.

Let's set the record straight once and for all: it is 100% not necessary to have a referral in order to get a product management interview. A large majority of our clients at Product Manager Dojo have landed their product manager jobs just from applying online without a referral. While getting a referral can be useful, you shouldn't pull your hair out trying to obtain them.

How a referral really helps is that it enables you to bypass the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and gets your resume in front of the recruiter. So instead of being stuck in the stack of resumes waiting to get seen by the recruiter (assuming you made it through the ATS), the referral allows your resume to jump the top of the queue so it can be reviewed immediately. However, a referral does not mean you are guaranteed an interview. This is a widespread misconception. The recruiter still needs to pass your resume before you can move forward.

Therefore, if your resume is not optimized for product and is not selling you in the right manner, it does not matter how many referrals you get. You still won't get any interviews. In order to fully maximize any referral opportunities you get, it is important to make sure your resume is on-point and ready to go.

If you are interested in learning how to have the best product management resume or want to break into product management, please schedule a free call via the Contact page. We would love to chat and see how Product Manager Dojo can help.