Employee referrals may be a secret advantage that many people miss and can utilize to get the interview, call back or job!

Existing employee referrals account for a huge percentage of new hires at firms like Ernst & Young, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Deloitte and many others. Many of these firms offer their employees incentives to recommend new hires.

It is easy to understand why hiring managers look to existing employee referrals for new employees. First, they are inundated with hundreds of resumes. They have neither the time, nor oftentimes the experience to choose the best candidate for their positions.

Hiring managers talk to their current employees and use social media like LinkedIn to source qualified candidates. It is less time consuming and the results make for longer lasting and happier employees.

So how do you get that referral?

Let everyone know what you do or would like to do for a living. The more people that know what you do, the more contact you have with their networks as well as your own.

Become an active participant on LinkedIn. Free premium memberships for a year are available to veterans. Learn how to use LinkedIn and capitalize on your skills and experiences.

Expand your in person networks. Go to conferences, meetings, local engagement groups and socialize. You cannot build a personal network sitting at home.

Volunteer! Volunteering not only expands your network, but helps in your community and field. It provides a no-cost way of getting your name, skills and experience out to many in your community. By actively participating, you will get a reputation as a hard worker and persistent help.

Many senior level business people are members of volunteer organizations as part of their commitment to give back to the community. When you volunteer, you may be working next to the CEO of your next company!

For more detailed information, go to Forbes

Go to www.TADPGS.com, click on the “Looking for People” tab, then view “Veterans Solutions” to see more for information on our Veterans Solutions for Employers. Please join our LinkedIn group, Veterans Hiring Solutions for Veterans and Companies at http://linkd.in/Sg346w. If you have specific questions about hiring veterans or the incentives for doing so, contact me at Ben.Marich@Adeccona.com.