Networking During Application Process

[Anonymous]

Did an informational interview (by phone - different cities) with a contact of a friend at a company I want to work at. She seemed pleased to chat -- talked for 30 minutes, answered a ton of questions etc. I gave it a few days, followed up by email to thank her and let her know I had done some further research, was very interested and would be applying and ask if she had any tips for making the materials more competitive/getting them into the right hands.

She got back to me with a response along the lines of ‘we look for x skill -- make sure materials highlight that.’ While that is VERY useful, I wish she had also said “and forward your materials to me as well, and I’ll send them along.” Can I get back to her and say “I applied and highlighted x skill, thanks so much. If you feel comfortable, I would very much appreciate if you could flag my name to the Recruiting department?” Or is that too pushy? I am normally not pushy but the fit with this company is REALLY good, I know the application process will generate lots of apps, and I really want mine to be reviewed thoroughly, as this is the type of job I’ve been looking for for over a year in the city I want to live in. I don’t want her to think I’m pushy and it is obviously her decision - she could just ignore my request, but I don’t want my own “shyness” to hurt me either. FWIW - she is a mid-level employee there -- she is not a decision maker, but has been there for a few years and probably can shoot off an email if she wanted to.

[Anonymous]

I don't see any harm in sending her the email you are thinking of.