How to get a referral without knowing anyone

Referrals roughly triple your odds of getting an interview, and you do not need to already know someone to get one. You need a short, specific, low-effort-to-answer message sent to the right person.

Find the right person, not the most senior

Skip the VP. Find a recent grad or an engineer on the team you'd join. They remember being in your position, they have referral bonuses, and they actually read their messages.

The three-message arc

First message: one genuine line about their work and one sentence on why you're reaching out. Second: if they reply, share a tight version of your background and the specific role. Third: make the ask explicit and easy, 'would you be open to referring me?' Most people say yes when it costs them ten seconds.

Let Juna draft it

Juna finds the right person at a company, drafts a warm intro in your voice, and quietly handles the follow-up so you don't get ghosted. You approve every message before it goes out.