By Anthony Stough
If you are actively searching for a job or promotion, you need to get on LinkedIn. Prior to reading this, be sure to check out our “Becoming a LinkedIn Master…well sort of” article before sending out messages to anyone on the site.
Crafting a LinkedIn message to get you noticed is an art and you can get the results you want by following the tips below. Let’s paint a picture: You’re on the job hunt, and someone tells you to just send a message to the recruiter. This, in fact, is great advice. Remember from our previous article that recruiters, hiring managers, senior leaders, and over 500 million members are on the site. A well-crafted message will definitely help you stand out in a sea of hundreds of applications. However, a not-so-well-written message will make you stand out in a not great way too.
In my corporate recruiter days, I would generally get 25 to 50 LinkedIn messages daily from people who applied to my organization’s roles. Keep in mind that this was on top of my regular emails and phone calls. I personally made an effort to respond to every person, but in reality it was difficult to reach out to everyone. So what exactly caught my eye and attention in a message?
What’s your name?
Are you a fit for the company?
Did you do your homework versus randomly reaching out to me?
If you are a good fit, how can I help you?
Have a purpose in your message
Finding a recruiter or representative from an organization that you apply to is easy on LinkedIn. Once you find someone that you want to reach out to, ask yourself, “Why do you want to reach out to them?”
Referral for the role you applied to
Informal interview to learn more about a position
Networking
Not every person that you reach out to is going to respond back to you, but having a purpose will keep you focused in your search. After a few days with no response, find someone else in the company and reach out to them.
introduce yourself…
This may sound ridiculous, but please introduce yourself in your message. Too many times have I received a message that was too informal. “Hey”, “What’s up”, “Can I get a job”. Listen, recruiters understand that you want a job with their organization, but you wouldn’t walk up to someone in-person and not introduce yourself. Treat a message as you would a conversation in-person. This is possibly your one chance to speak to this person. Be professional and treat them with respect.
use your elevator pitch
Remember our article, “Tell Me About Yourself”? This is exactly the type of information that recruiters want to see in an introductory message. This is your opportunity to show that person a who you are as a professional and that introduction doesn’t leave them second guessing your experience. This also isn’t the time to give them your life story, so it’s important to stick to your elevator pitch and just give them a snapshot of your experience.
identify what you are looking for
One of the best ways to “show off” to a recruiter or company representative is to show them that you mean business. Asking them “what jobs do you have” shows that you have no idea what their company does and it is an easy reason for the person to not respond to you. If you are seeking a referral or informational interview on a role, this is the time to include the specific job title and job identifier of that role. Each role within an organization has a specific identifier (usually a set of numbers and letters). By providing that information, you leave no room for that person to second guess which role you are interested in. For example, if you tell me that you applied to the Project Manager role, and there are over 50 currently with the organization, how am I supposed to know which one you applied to?
THank them for their time
Although you won’t always get a response, you should always end your message thanking that individual for their time. It’s a classy and small gesture that goes a long way. I don’t know a recruiter or hiring manager whose sole job is to sit on LinkedIn all day to respond to messages. Be a professional and always remember to thank them for their time.
attach your resume
Nothing makes the life of a recruiter easier than attaching your resume. Remember, you are asking for a referral, insight into a role, informational interview, or networking. Greater your chances of gaining a response by attaching your resume and providing all the information that person would need to speed up the referral process.
Here’s an example
In no way am I trying to “Blue Falcon” you here, but I want to show you how to put all of these things into practice before you starting sending messages. Looking at my personal LinkedIn profile, let’s formulate how I would create my own message. Feel free to use this format, but be sure to use your own experience in the process. Let’s say that I just applied to a HR Director role for CIVEASE, and I’m reaching out to the recruiter, “Stephanie”, for a referral.
“Hi Stephanie,
My name is Anthony Stough. I am a human resources leader with over 9 years of experience in a number of industries to include the US Army, healthcare, and transportation with an emphasis on talent acquisition, workforce development, and talent management. I recently applied to the HR Director role (job ID: 1234567) with CIVEASE. I would greatly appreciate any type of feedback or insight into the role that you may have.
Regardless, thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Attached is my resume for reference.
Thank you again,
Anthony Stough
Phone number”
what happens if i don’t get a response?
Listen, I wish there was a way that I can guarantee you getting a response from somebody every single time that you reach out to them. People are people and life happens. Even as a consultant in this area, I don’t always get people to respond back to me. Is it frustrating? Sure it is! But that doesn’t mean that you should stop and give up. Drive on and find the next person in that organization.