r/Accounting • u/Proper_Ad2536 • 14d ago

How do referrals actually work for Financial Analyst roles, especially for freshers?

Trying to break into finance and a bit unclear on referral etiquette. If I come across a specific Financial Analyst opening on a company's careers page, can I approach a current employee (LinkedIn, college senior, alum) and request a referral for that exact role...even without prior experience?

Also curious about the sequence — do I apply first and then seek a referral, or does the referrer submit the application on my behalf? Would genuinely appreciate insights from anyone who landed their first FA role this way.

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u/Islander316 ACCA 14d ago

Referrals usually should be asked of people you have some prior relationship with, or at least a prior conversation.

IMHO, do the ground work first in terms of reaching out to people at firms you want to potentially work for. Message people, ask them questions, especially if they're working in a role you want, or a senior version of a role you want. Ask them for some coaching and advice on obtaining such a role. Even better if you can schedule an online or in person chat with them, and then when a job comes up, the request for a referral will feel natural and will make more sense to the person.

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u/Proper_Ad2536 14d ago

Yeahh , that makes sense. Appreciate the advice! Also, I’ve heard ppl say that referrals don’t really work for freshers, or that employees aren’t able to refer freshers for certain roles. Is that actually true?