How to Network for a Job (UK Guide)

Applying for jobs online can feel like posting CVs into a void. Networking for a job is the other half of the search: getting to know people who work where you want to work, so that when a role comes up, someone there already knows your name. It doesn't mean schmoozing at drinks or begging strangers for referrals. It means a handful of short, honest conversations. This guide covers how to network for a job in the UK, step by step, with message templates for informational chats and referrals, how to use LinkedIn without being ignored, and how to follow up.

Why networking helps you get a job

Hiring managers are nervous about strangers. A CV tells them what you've done; it doesn't tell them whether you're good to work with. When someone inside the company can say "I've spoken to her, she's sharp", that worry shrinks. Many employers run referral schemes for exactly this reason, and some roles are filled before they're ever advertised, or advertised only briefly.

Networking also helps when no job is going. A conversation with someone in the role you want tells you what the work is really like, which skills matter, and which companies are hiring. You'll write better applications and do better in interviews, even at companies where you know nobody.

Step 1: Decide what you're aiming for

"I'm open to anything" is the hardest request for anyone to help with. Before you message a soul, narrow it down to a type of role, a sector and a place. "Junior product roles at fintech companies in Manchester" gives people something to work with. You can have two or three targets, but each one needs to be specific enough that someone could think of a name.

Then write a list of 15 to 20 organisations you'd like to work for. This becomes your map: for each one, you'll look for someone you could talk to.

Step 2: Start with people you already know

Your first contacts are the warmest. Former colleagues and managers, people from university, friends, family friends, people from clubs and volunteering. You're not asking them for a job. You're asking who they know.

Telling people what you're looking for is half the work. Most people won't think to help until they know what to listen out for. Our guide on how to ask for an introduction covers how to make that ask easy to say yes to.

Step 3: Ask for informational interviews

An informational interview is a short, informal chat, usually 15 to 20 minutes, with someone who does a job you're interested in. You're there to learn, not to be assessed. It's the most useful networking for a job you can do, because people are far more willing to give advice than to hand out jobs.

Here's a message you can adapt for someone you don't know.

Who you are, why them, one small ask. No CV attached, no mention of vacancies.

What to ask in an informational interview

Keep to time, take notes, and thank them at the end. That last question is the one that grows your network: one good conversation often leads to two more.

How to network for a job on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the obvious place to find people, and it's where they'll look you up after you message them. A few things make it work far better.

• Fix your profile first. A clear photo, a headline that says what you do and what you're looking for ("Marketing assistant moving into B2B software marketing"), and a few lines in your own words in the About section.
• Search with filters. Search a company, open its People tab, and look for people in the team you want to join. Your university's LinkedIn page has an Alumni tab where you can filter graduates by employer and job, and shared background makes people more likely to reply.
• Pick people one or two steps ahead. Someone who got the job you want two years ago remembers how they did it. The head of department probably doesn't.
• Add a note. Connection requests with a short, specific note get a better reception than blank ones. Keep it to the template above.
• Comment before you ask. If someone posts about their work, a thoughtful comment makes your later message feel less cold.

LinkedIn is good at helping you find people, and less good at getting them to reply, because everyone's inbox is full. We wrote about why in LinkedIn was built for broadcasting, and covered other options in LinkedIn alternatives.

How to ask for a referral

Once you've had a good conversation with someone, and there's a role at their company that genuinely fits, it's reasonable to ask whether they'd be comfortable referring you. Make it easy for them and easy to say no.

Never ask for a referral in your first message to a stranger. People refer people they know a little, because their own reputation is attached to it. If they say no, thank them and keep in touch anyway.

How to network for an internship

Students have one big advantage: people like helping them. Use your university careers service, which often knows which employers recruit from your course and may run mentoring or alumni schemes. Talk to lecturers who've worked in industry. Go to careers fairs with three or four employers picked out in advance and a real question for each.

Spring weeks, insight days and internships are networking in their own right. Talk to the other interns and the graduates running the sessions, ask for a coffee before you leave, and send a thank-you afterwards. Smaller companies often don't advertise internships at all, so a short, polite speculative email to someone in the team, saying what you can do and when you're free, can work. Our full guide to networking as a student or graduate goes into more detail.

Networking events and career fairs

Industry meetups, professional body events and talks are good places to meet people in your field, and many professional bodies offer cheaper membership for students, graduates or people between jobs. Pick events by who will be there, not just the topic. Prepare a one-line introduction ("I'm a data analyst in the NHS, looking to move into a charity data role") and a couple of questions. If walking up to strangers is the hard bit, what to say at a networking event has openers and exit lines, and networking for introverts has gentler ways in.

How to follow up

Follow-up is where most job networking quietly fails. After any call or meeting, send a thank-you the same day or the next, mentioning one thing they said that helped.

Then actually let them know. A short update a month or two later ("I took your advice, and I've got an interview at a SaaS company next week") keeps you on their radar and shows their time was well spent. If someone hasn't replied to a first message, one polite nudge after a week or so is fine; after that, leave it. More templates are in how to follow up after networking.

Free UK careers support

If you're in England, the National Careers Service has online tools and a phone line for adults (see its contact page). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own services: My World of Work, Careers Wales and nidirect careers. Many universities also let graduates keep using their careers service for a while after they leave, so check with yours.

When you don't know who to talk to

The hardest part of networking for a job is usually the first step: working out which person would actually help. That's what Linktwos is for. It's a matchmaker you text. You tell it who would help, say "someone who moved from retail management into HR" or "a recruiter who places junior developers in Bristol", and it introduces you to one well-matched person at a time, with a short reason to meet. You can import your CV to get started, and nobody can cold-message you. For the bigger picture, our guide on building a professional network covers what to do once the job's sorted.

Common questions about networking for a job

How do I network for a job if I don't know anyone?

Start with people you know a little, such as former colleagues, university contacts and friends, and ask who they know in your target field. Then use LinkedIn search and your university's alumni tab to find people one or two steps ahead of you and ask for a 15-minute chat.

What is an informational interview?

It is a short, informal conversation, usually 15 to 20 minutes, with someone who does a job you are interested in. You ask about their work and how they got there. You are there to learn, not to ask for a job.

How do I network for a job on LinkedIn?

Tidy your profile, search companies' People tabs and your university's Alumni tab, and send a short connection note saying who you are, why them and one small ask. Commenting on their posts first makes the message feel less cold.

When should I ask for a referral?

Only after you have had a real conversation and there is a specific role that fits. Make it easy by sending your CV and a short summary they can pass on, and make it easy for them to say no.

How do I network for an internship?

Use your university careers service, lecturers with industry experience and careers fairs. Treat spring weeks and insight days as networking, and send short speculative emails to smaller companies that may not advertise internships.

How should I follow up after a networking conversation?

Send a thank-you the same day or the next that mentions one specific piece of advice, then send a short update a month or two later saying what happened. If someone has not replied, one polite nudge after a week is enough.