So you’ve found it—your dream job was just posted online and you know you’re perfect for the role. Whether or not you know someone at the company, you’ll still have to speak with a recruiter. The catch? That recruiter is probably juggling 50+ candidates a day, trying to fill roles, and has very little time for someone unprofessionally sliding into their DMs asking for advice or a favor. So how do you reach out to a recruiter, get noticed, and make the experience mutually beneficial? Well, luckily, we know exactly what grabs a recruiter's attention and gets them to ACTUALLY answer.
Step 1: Set yourself up for success
Before you reach out to a recruiter or anyone you're trying to network with for that matter, you have to do the legwork of pulling your professional profile (aka your Personal Brand) together. What does that look like? It starts with making firm, clear decisions about what you want next for your career. Then it means updating your resume, portfolio, CV, personal website, as well as any online business-related profile to clearly display your chosen career path. It also means that you optimize your profiles with keywords so you stand out as the star you are. For example, if you're reaching out on LinkedIn, make sure your headline not only relates to the role you're interested in but is interesting and summarizes your brand. The headline will be the first thing the Recruiter ever reads about you - other than your name. It's how you can make a powerful first impression. All of this prep work is crucial because it not only clarifies for yourself why you are perfect for your desired next role, it makes a recruiter’s job way easier when trying to help you get hired.
Step 2: Research! Know and speak to your audience
There are different types of recruiters and you’ll need to do a bit of digging to find out which of these best fits your targeted recruiter. They might fill roles for a specific company (internal), are best at hiring for a specific type of career (external - like us!), or only work to hire top-tier executives (executive). Once you know, you can tailor your communication to help them fill roles (whether for yourself or, bonus! your colleagues). Remember: recruiters don’t work for you, so all of your communication should be geared to help them make their job easier in every way. Keep communication short and specific, outlining your desired role, location, industries you work for, and desired compensation range. You wouldn't guess how many sassy or angry messages recruiters get, hating on them about one thing or another. A positive, understanding tone within your message goes a LONG WAY. Finally, don’t forget to attach those links to your cleaned-up resume and portfolio!
Step 3: Continue to be helpful and supportive
There are many reasons why a recruiter might not respond right away. You might be reaching out at the wrong time, they may have already made an offer to another candidate, or their client may have just decided to pause hiring for the position. As we said, recruiters are super busy! There's also a good chance you're one of many that have reached out about this role. So, don't forget to follow up after two weeks... and always lead with empathy. Show some understanding that their jobs are tough and reiterate that you’d be happy to help them fill any roles. Offer to connect them to people within your network and lead those introductions. By helping them do their jobs you might land your own dream job after facilitating a good business relationship.
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