Looking for your dream job or a professional opportunity can be a difficult endeavor. However, Thanks to LinkedIn and technology, what you’re looking for can be one connection request or message away.
Sticking with LinkedIn, now you can easily find recruiters & hiring managers in your field and connect with them. This allows you to identify professional opportunities or even land the job you’ve always desired.
Considering the power & potential of LinkedIn, it would be a waste not to take full advantage of it. However, LinkedIn itself remains a networking platform that connects professionals together. So, don’t expect that the platform will magically present you with a job. It’s only a tool and as a job seeker or candidate, you should use it the right way.
This brings us to today's topic, which is about how to reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn. So, if you’re struggling with what to say to a recruiter on LinkedIn, here are a few tips to help you out!
1. Before reaching out to recruiters, optimize your LinkedIn first!
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital resume and a professional representation of who you are as a person. Thus, it should be well-optimized and intact, or you wouldn’t leave a good impression on recruiters and hiring managers.
Some tips to optimize your LinkedIn profile
- Include a professional picture with a relevant banner for your industry.
- Optimize your title with keywords for improved reach.
- Ensure you include a full summary of your professional experiences.
- Include your employment history along with your education, skills, and endorsements.
- Don’t forget to include certifications, courses, projects…, etc.
Remember having an optimized LinkedIn doesn’t only leave a good impression on recruiters, it also improves your visibility and reach on the platform. And, this is essential to increase your chances of connecting with the right people and landing jobs & opportunities.
2. Ensure you have the right person in mind!
Before connecting with people on LinkedIn, you should have a clear idea of the type of recruiters you’re targeting. Obviously your target, hiring managers & recruiters, should be working in your target industry or field. Fortunately, LinkedIn makes it easier to find and connect with these people.
For instance, you can search for specific recruiters by typing your industry plus the word “recruiter”. So, if you’re a content writer, you can type “content writer recruiter” and press the search button. Then, LinkedIn will present you with a list of hiring managers & recruiters in your field.
Now, Let’s say you’re looking for local opportunities, no problem! LinkedIn allows you to narrow down your search results to local recruiters in your specified region. This can be very useful if you’re looking for a position in your local area.
3. Personalize your connection request
Sending a personalized connection request is essential to connect with recruiters. So, never send a connection request without a personalized message. Try to find something that you have in common with the recruiter and include it in the message. For instance, you can mention that you attended the same college or had met at an event before…, etc. The role of a personalized message is to get the recruiter’s attention while leaving a pleasant impression.
It is the hook you need to establish a proper connection with recruiters and hiring managers. Another way to connect with recruiters is through email directly. What I mean here is that you can find the recruiter’s email under contact info and send him a direct email. Again, your email should be concise, personalized, and clear. You can also include your skills, past experiences, and qualifications. And, don’t forget to attach your resume too.
In case you can't find the recruiter’s email, sending a personalized message through LinkedIn is still fine.
4. Keep your message short & concise with a nice call-to-action
If you’re still confused about what to say to a recruiter on LinkedIn, this section is all about that!
As you know, recruiters are busy people, so they don’t have the time to read a long message. Thus, you should always keep your message short, concise, and clear. Avoid including too many unnecessary details or bragging about your personal achievements & qualities. I know that talking big is good to show your confidence and strength, but it’s not good when you’re just trying to establish a connection.
Again, your message should be personalized and authentic. This means the message must address the recruiter you’re connecting with specifically. Avoid generic and plain messages, and always try to catch the attention of the recruiter. For example, you can begin with a brief self-introduction, and then you can highlight the reason you’re contacting the recruiter.
In other words, your message should be short, sweet, and to the point!
A message with a call-to-action is always missing and so is ineffective. So, when writing your message, always include a CTA (for example : "When coul we have a quick call ..? " ). That’s because it helps recruiters understand what you want and how to respond to you. It is the key motivator that pushes recruiters to consider you and respond. So, always write a concise message with a CTA that states what you want and how recruiters can help you with that.
5. Stay in touch with recruiters
Now, let’s say a recruiter accepted your connection request and left you a note. It could be something like “thank you for reaching out, I’ll check your resume and get back to you” or any along these lines. What’s important here is that you should keep the conversation rolling without sounding very desperate and imposing.
So, avoid emailing recruiters every week, asking for updates. That would bug them and leave a bad impression. Instead, try to keep in touch by emailing recruiters every once in a while in a friendly and polite manner. The best way to do that is to share with them something valuable that’s related to your mutual industry.
Commenting under one of their LinkedIn posts can be an interesting option too.
Reasons you should keep in touch with recruiters
- Recruiters are often the gatekeepers to job opportunities. By connecting with them and maintaining a relationship, you increase your chances of being considered for a position that may not be publicly advertised.
- They often have a wealth of knowledge about the hiring process and can provide valuable insight into what employers are looking for in a candidate. They can also offer feedback on your resume or cover letter, which can help you improve your chances of getting hired.
- They may be able to connect you with other professionals in your field, which can lead to networking opportunities and potential job leads.
- Recruiters may also be able to provide you with information on upcoming job fairs, networking events, and other opportunities that can help you advance your career.
Wrapping up
There is no golden formula for what to say to a recruiter on LinkedIn. After all, networking & reaching out to recruiters on LinkedIn isn’t a science but a skill. Therefore, the more you do it, the better you get at it.
So, It's important to remember that building relationships with recruiters takes time and effort. Be sure to stay active on LinkedIn, participate in industry groups, and reach out to recruiters proactively. And also be sure to be professional and courteous when communicating with recruiters, as they will remember how you present yourself. And, this can make all the difference!
If it's about you, it's about us,