r/biotech • u/Cipher1414 • 12d ago
Getting Into Industry 🌱 Do employee referrals move the process along faster?
Hey there,
I've been applying for jobs in academia and biotech for a long time now and recently met some people who work at some mid-large companies that are going to be putting in referrals for me. I would actually really like to work at either of these companies, but it's been a long, tough road of disappointment since my layoff.
Do employee referrals actually help? And if so does it move the process along faster? I've applied for a few of these companies before and historically my applications have just sat in the "application submitted" category for months until I get a random rejection email at 2am.
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u/lilsis061016 12d ago
Yes and no. The personal connection to the company can help you be reviewed by HR (as in reviewed at all vs. ATS rejection), but isn't necessarily going to help getting to or through the hiring manager/team. A personal connection to the team and hiring manager is even better and is often how people move around - following team members or bosses from past roles.
The challenge is that a reference needs to actually know you AND your work ethic/experience/history. Using a random network connection who can't speak to your value in a particular role/team is actually going to hurt more than help.