Referrals on Pramp/exponent

One more thing to consider is the geographic distribution of the members on Pramp. I don't know the demographic breakdown, but maybe you can ask around for it.

If the vast majority of people offering a referral are in Silicon Valley, for example, and you're located somewhere else, that may reduce the effectiveness for you. Big Tech referrals could still work, but perhaps weighted even less if it's a different org altogether.

I've generally heard good things about Pramp, but I would temper expectations on the "priority" job referral feature, especially in this market.

The referrals you'll be getting through Pramp are by definition going to be weak referrals, not strong referrals, as they don't know who you are. It's better than no referral, but not by much. At most companies (including FAANG), you need to label if a referral is someone you know and deeply trust or someone you're frankly referring for the referral bonus.

You can learn more about weak vs. strong referrals in my job searching course here: https://www.jointaro.com/course/ace-your-tech-interview-and-get-a-job-as-a-software-engineer/referrals/