If a role is posted, you CAN get a foot in the door.
Don’t just rely on the front door (applying online)
Instead master the backdoor strategy of how to leverage your network to break through the noise of hundreds (if not thousands) of other candidates.
“[All highly successful people] treat life, business, and success… just like a nightclub. There are always three ways in. There’s the First Door, where 99% of people wait in line,hoping to get in. There’s the Second Door, where billionaires and royalty slip through. But then there is always, always… the Third Door. It’s the entrance where you have to jump out of line, run down the alley, climb over the dumpster, bang on the door a hundred times, crack open the window, and sneak through kitchen. But there’s always a way in. Alex Banayan
When to use the backdoor strategy
This article focuses on how to apply for posted roles. Generally roles above director aren’t posted but if they are they will typically get thousands of applications. You will need these strategies to stand out. For executives focused on more senior roles, there are other powerful strategies for your job search.
You can also use these backdoor strategies to network in to unposted roles and to start dialogs for roles that don’t exist. It is important thought that if an unposted role is listed by a recruiter, we don’t recommend back-door applying as circumventing recruiters can damage your relationship with them and potentially put you at a disadvantage for the role.
Backdoor tactics
The goal of applying through the backdoor is to get on the hiring manager’s radar via the best reference you can. If you can’t reach the hiring manager, getting introduced to the internal recruiter is a great alternative. Use the following strategies to give yourself the best shot at making the connection and getting noticed:
Make sure you are qualified: The backdoor strategy won’t help for posted roles if you don’t have the experience and can’t nail the interview.
Do your homework: You are putting a lot of effort in and asking a lot of your network. Make sure you make each ask impactful by:
Reading all you can on the company (articles, podcasts by their execs)
Network in to junior folks at the company first to learn about their pain points
Always write a personal note
Research connections on LinkedIn. Other tools include relationship mapping tools like Commsor.
Ask a broad group of people for help: While you want to prioritize people you are close with (see below) it is a good strategy to ping 10-15 connections. Not only is this a way to find more connection paths but it is also an excuse to rekindle a relationship, even if they can’t make intro. Anyone you connect with can share you search to see if they know other companies on your target list.
Make it easy for your connections to help: Here are some ways that reduce the barriers for them to help you:
When you make the ask include the link to the job
Be concise and clear on your ask
Include why you are qualified for the role and highlighting your specific interest in the company
Send an easily forwardable note
Backdoor strategies can’t help you get the job, just get the interview. Once you get connected to the recruiter/hiring manager, the rest is up to you. Here is how hiring managers and recruiters evaluate candidates.
“There are like 500 people applying for whatever job you are applying for. You have got to be all over it…. If you get a meeting with that company, I would spend 10 hours prepping for that call because you have to blow them away.” Nick Mehta (see podcast at 25:30)
If you can’t get connected to the hiring manager / recruiter, a backup strategy is to get submitted via the company’s internal referral program by an existing employee. Generally these applications ask people to rank if you are in the top 10% of talent so try to get submitted by someone who has worked with you before. These applications will always get a closer eye from recruiters.
Who to leverage
When you backdoor a role, prioritize people on two dimensions:
How well they can speak to your skills: Have you worked with them before, do you have a personal relationship with them
How close they are to the department you are interested in: For startups and early stage companies this is less important since everyone knows everyone. For mid and later companies, recognize that people in engineering don’t often know people in sales for example.
Following are key contacts (in rough order) to leverage for your backdoor strategy:
Contacts you know well at company
Contacts you know well who used to work at company
Investors can be powerful for early stage companies
Talent Partners provide a powerful reference for early stage companies
Recruiters typically work better for unpublished roles or trying to build
Invest in your network for long term success
Don’t just ask for help when you need it.
It is important to build your network and brand so that when you need to network (backdoor) into a company it is an easy request.
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