Messaging A Recruiter 101

Author: Victoria Krstev on behalf of Inflo HR Ltd.

Messaging a recruiter can be a very intimidating task. This can sometimes make or break your chances at succeeding in gaining an interview for a particular company. On top of this, COVID19 has added a curveball in how interviews and meetings are done. My goal here is to help you tread the waters and come out on top. Please keep in the back of your mind, most are on lock-down right now and more than ever are normally “online”!

First Off, Is It Okay For You To Message A Recruiter First?

Absolutely! To start off, I would send a request to connect with the recruiter attached with a short personalized message about them. Ask questions, sound genuinely interested to get to know them. Don’t make this introduction message too long, short and sweet is best.

Do Your Homework!

• Make sure you’ve gone on their LinkedIn profile and know their current role, where they are working and some of their background. If you notice any similarities with your background, point this out to them in that first initial message!
• Make sure that you have an up to date resume and customizable cover letter ready to send to the recruiter 
  • These both need to be tweaked depending on the job you are applying for but having a base makes this process easier for yourself. 
  • Don’t be afraid to add a little personality to your resume!
    • This could mean adding colour, customize with specific keywords, etc.
    • If you feel stuck creating a resume or optimizing your LinkedIn, feel free to schedule a call with us here to discuss possibly signing up for a personal branding session with Inflo HR Ltd. 
• Make sure this is the correct person to contact! Do some research and ensure that the person you are messaging is in fact a recruiter for the company you are interested in
• Is there a job opening? Even if there isn’t currently a job opening you can message a recruiter in order to get on their radar. 
  • If there is a job posting, apply online to ensure that your resume and application are submitted to stay one step ahead.

So, They've Accepted Your Request... What Do You Do Now?

After they have accepted your request to connect on LinkedIn, you can thank them for joining your network. You can then begin to ask them questions. In the law of narcissism, which all of us have, people love to talk about themselves no matter how big or small their ego is. Look at their LinkedIn profile to get some ideas. 

Some Ideas Include:

"I see you work at COMPANY X, I recently heard they did X."

• Do a quick google search and find something in the news about this company.

"I see you went to school for X, I came across this article recently that talked about X (what they majored in)"

• Refer to their profile and in their education, look for something that's recently been written about on google about this - Medium is a great place to get ideas.

"We both know X (connection)! I met him/her through X, how did you meet them?"

"Covid-19, what a year! Have you managed to find the best ergonomic chair yet?!"

Covid-19, what a year! How are you finding working from home if you’ve had to do that? I had an Amazon package come to the door and my dog would not stop barking, what a Zoom meeting that was!! 

… I could go on and on, I hope you get the point! 

Once you go back and forth a few times, I would then recommend to bring up the role you’ve had your eye on and ask them for their advice on how to get your resume forward for it, or ask them to review your resume and ask for feedback on it. 

... And What Not To Do!

Sometimes your message may get lost in the process and in turn, you do not receive a response. It is perfectly okay to send a follow-up message, but, remember not to be disrespectful or demanding in situations like this. Recruiters typically have what seems like a never-ending supply of emails to get through each day so just give them some time. 

Like I mentioned earlier, try to stand out in the message you send them. You don’t want to blend into the sea of applicants, you want to spice it up a bit. Put a little thought into what you are sending and remember to keep it shorter rather than an essay of why they should help you find a job. And by short a little more than just a “hello.” 

Have your LinkedIn profile updated regularly in order to show off all the amazing things you have accomplished! Make sure that you have a professional profile photo (something you’d be proud to show your grandmother and not just a selfie). 

Double and triple check your spelling and grammar in both your profile and the message you are sending out to recruiters. A great tool I like to use is Grammarly. It is an extension for Google Chrome that is always monitoring your typing and is quick to notice and point out any errors. 

Is It Acceptable To Ask For A Meeting?

Once you’ve chatted for a bit with a recruiter, you can definitely request to have a meeting with them. Just remember that we are currently in a pandemic and everyone's health and safety needs to come first. Gone are the days of strictly face-to-face meetings, here are the zoom calls and Facetime meetings. Be respectful and treat these virtual meetings the same as you would a physical one. Make sure to look professional and come prepared with all necessary elements which may mean having your resume at hand, a portfolio ready to share, or really anything else that can assist you during your interview. COVID19 may have changed how meetings and interviews are done, but the basics remain the same! 

This would then be the time and place to discuss the role in which you are interested in. 

If a job posting is available on LinkedIn, check if they offer candidates the opportunity to submit a video application. This is a great feature that LinkedIn has incorporated to help candidates show off their skills as a professional rather than judging solely based on a resume. Find out more on this feature here. 

Asking For Advice Is Ok!

Constructive criticism is the best way to improve! Oftentimes we are too hard on ourselves but at the same time we’re not being realistic in what we could use a little work on. If an interview doesn’t go well or you don’t get the job, you can always ask your recruiter for feedback on what you can improve on for next time. Just remember that whatever they tell you is only meant to help, so try not to take offence and just use it going forward. 

At the end of the day, the best thing you can do is to be yourself and be confident in the amazing person that you are! It may take some time, but you will succeed and you will find your dream career! A recruiter can be a valuable resource in obtaining the job you desire and hopefully by reading this post you have gained more understanding on how to professionally and successfully utilize them for your future success.

Wishing you all the best and we are always rooting for you from the sidelines 🙂