A Step by Step Guide: How To Reach Out To A Recruiter and Land That Interview!
The job market is saturated, recruiters are expected to review hundreds of resumes on a daily basis and candidates submit countless resumes hoping for an answer. The process is overwhelming for both parties, there’s a lot of noise and it’s pretty difficult for candidates to stand out without networking and making more meaningful connections in their industry. The good news is, it is possible to stand out, you just have to be genuine and strategic in your approach. Here’s a step by step guide on how to reach out and stand out to recruiters.
Step 1:
Find a job that seems like a good fit with your background. Cater your resume and apply.
Step 2:
Find a recruiter on LinkedIn who works for the company you applied for and reach out. If you can find their work email, use that. If not, message them directly on LinkedIn. Feel free to use the below messaging as a guide and adjust accordingly:
SUBJECT: (Insert Full Name) Wants Your (Insert Job Title) Role!
BODY:
Hello (insert Recruiter’s name),
I recently applied for the (insert job title — link it, if possible) role and wanted to reach out to introduce myself. I am (insert your full name) and here’s what I have to offer:
-Continue to bullet out your top qualities as a candidate and make sure they match up with the job. Don’t go generic here, things like I have a strong work ethic and I have good communication skills aren’t substantial enough. Really aim to make these specific to the job you applied for. Try to expand beyond your resume and keep the bullets as strategic and concise as possible.
Oh and by the way, I (insert a hobby, ex. I can make a killer guacamole) and this alone, brings value to the company. Just think how great it would be to introduce a Taco Tuesday celebration to break up the week! (This adds some flare to your outreach and makes it more likely for the recruiter to remember you. The key is sharing something about yourself that is unique to you.)
For quick contact, you can reach me anytime at (insert email address) or (insert cell-phone number). I have attached my resume for your review, I hope to connect soon!
*Attach an updated resume*
*PRO TIPS: Find something in common with the recruiter or call out something on their profile. Maybe you went to the same school or maybe you are impressed with their background or how long they have been at X company. You can casually drop this into your note and I can guarantee it makes a difference.
Get witty with your subject line. Use a unique selling point about yourself in the subject line. Call-out an article you read about the company. Get creative and grab their attention!
Step 3:
If you haven’t heard back, follow up! Give the recruiter a week to review your message and if you still haven’t heard from them, send a follow-up. Feel free to use the below as a guide and adjust accordingly:
SUBJECT: Since this is a follow-up, reply back to the original email or outreach and the subject should copy over.
BODY:
Hello (insert Recruiter’s name),
I wanted to follow up with my initial outreach regarding the (insert job title — link it, if possible) role. I know you are busy and I do appreciate your time. I’m here to make your life easier, not harder — promise!
I am re-sharing my resume along with times that I am available to connect this week. Please Let me know which timeframe works best for you:
Monday: 9AM-10AM
Tuesday: 3PM-5PM
etc.
Not sure if these times work? No need to sweat the scheduling, you can access my calendar here (link “here” to Calendly) to schedule a call at any time. This will automatically place a block on both of our calendars.
I look forward to connecting soon!
*Attach an updated resume*
*PRO TIPS: Provide times within the typical work week; Monday-Friday from 9 AM-5 PM. Provide a varied range in times — some in the morning, some in the afternoon for example.
Create a free Calendly account that syncs perfectly with your Gmail and share the link as an easy way for recruiters to schedule a call on their own time.
Step 4:
So you got the phone screen — congrats! You are one step closer to landing that awesome new job. Make sure you perform on the call and don’t forget to ask what challenges the team is currently facing. Follow up with a thank-you note. Feel free to use the below messaging as a guide and adjust accordingly:
SUBJECT: (Insert full name) wants to thank you for your time!
BODY:
Hello (insert recruiter’s name),
Thank you for taking the time to connect. I truly enjoyed learning more about (insert company name) and the (insert job title — link it, if possible) position. After hearing more about the role and the challenges you face, I believe I can contribute immensely. How? Well…
- Proceed to share a solution to the challenges that the team is currently facing. If you cannot think of a solution or forget to ask about the challenges, share an example of a time you went above and beyond the ask and simply remove “and the challenges you face” from the sentence above.
Feel free to reach out with any questions, I hope to hear from you soon!
*PRO TIP: When sharing a time you went above and beyond for a project, make sure it is relevant to the role. Don’t forget to make it genuine and relevant enough to the recruiter (too much role-specific jargon can be overwhelming).
Step 5:
Didn’t hear back from the recruiter? Give the recruiter 1 week to respond to your note. If you do not hear back, send one final follow-up. Feel free to use the below messaging as a guide and adjust accordingly:
SUBJECT: Since this is a follow-up, reply back to the original email or outreach and the subject should copy over.
BODY:
Hello (insert Recruiter’s name),
I hope all is well! I wanted to follow up on my candidacy for the (insert job title — link it, if possible) position.
I must admit, I was impressed by what you had shared regarding (insert company name) and I am excited for the potential to move forward in the interviewing process.
I really do believe I can be a valuable asset to your team. In case you have any hesitations, feel free to reach out. You can also reach out to one of my references, (insert reference name), at (insert reference email).
Again, I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing back soon!
Step 6:
If you are contacted to move forward, congrats! Crush that interview and don’t forget to send thank you notes to the hiring managers and team. For those, be more specific in what you can contribute. They are the experts so don’t be afraid to get technical and geek out on them!
If you never hear back, don’t sweat it. Recruiters receive hundreds of messages in a day and maybe it wasn’t an ideal fit anyway. Be proud that you put yourself out there and keep the outreach flowing, you never know who might see that spark in you!
**NOTE: As you can probably tell, these templates have some of my own flair. I am sharing these as a reference, an idea starter, you should edit based on the specific tone of voice that aligns with your brand**
