Establishing relationships with recruiters is a great way to personalize your application for a job opportunity. Not only are you more likely to get the job, but if that opportunity falls through, the recruiter is likely to consider you for future roles. The first step in establishing these relationships is typically through a LinkedIn message. Since recruiters receive a plethora of messages and connection requests on a given day, it’s important to carefully consider the content of your message to establish successful relationships and thereby land that dream job!
Here are my 3 tips for an effective outreach message to a recruiter:
1. Define the purpose
It’s important to consider why you're reaching out to a recruiter. Is it in regard to a specific job opportunity? Future opportunities? Referral? Regardless, make sure it is clearly stated in the first 2-3 sentences of your message. I get a number of messages with a simple “Hi” or “How are you?” and although the intent behind it is genuine, you're very unlikely to elicit a response from this standard greeting. Cut to chase. This allows recruiters to immediately focus on finding ways to help rather than being coerced in small talk.
2. Highlight your key skills
Another way you can strengthen your message is by highlighting 2-3 relevant skills. If you're reaching out to a recruiter about a specific job opportunity, try to match your skills with the top 3 skills in the job posting. Typically, the first 3-4 points listed in a job posting state the major requirements. This shows the recruiter that you took the time to go through the job description and also saves them the effort to go through your profile/resume trying to see if you’re a good fit for the role.
3. Focus on the long term
Great, now you’ve crafted the perfect outreach message and you click send. The recruiter responds but unfortunately, they say that you’re not the best fit for the role or the role is no longer open, etc. What do you do? This is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the recruiter’s response and establish a long-term relationship. The rejection may feel defeating but by taking the right measures to establish the relationship you’ll likely be rewarded in the long-term. Thank them for acknowledging your message and opening the conversation to future opportunities, insights about the company, a phone call, or even a review of your LinkedIn profile/resume. Since 80% of jobs aren’t advertised, recruiters will initially reach out to their network to fill a role and if you leave a good enough impression, you too could be part of that network!
I know reaching out to a recruiter via LinkedIn can seem intimidating but hopefully, with these three tips, it’ll be a breeze!
If you are looking for a job in the world of tech, follow us on LinkedIn and check out the job openings we are currently recruiting for.
Comments