Sending a cold message to a hiring manager on LinkedIn can be an effective way to get your foot in the door for a job opportunity. However, it’s important to craft your message carefully to increase your chances of getting a response. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process step-by-step.
Why Send a Cold Message?
Here are some of the key benefits of sending a cold message to a hiring manager:
- Allows you to directly reach the person responsible for hiring
- Lets you express interest in a role even if no position is advertised
- Provides a way to showcase your skills and qualifications
- Sets you apart from other passive applicants
- Increases your chances of making a connection and getting considered
Rather than just submitting an application into a black hole and hoping for a response, a cold message allows you to proactively reach out to start a dialogue. Hiring managers also appreciate motivated candidates who take the initiative.
Who to Message
To determine who to send a cold message to, start by identifying roles and companies you’re interested in. Once you have some target companies, follow these steps:
- Go to their LinkedIn Company Page and click “See all employees”
- Use filter and search tools to find hiring managers and recruiters
- Look for titles like Recruiter, Talent Acquisition, HR Manager, Hiring Manager
- Make a list of 5-10 potential people to message at each company
Focus on people who are likely involved in hiring for roles relevant to your experience and interests. Avoid messaging executives unless you have an existing connection.
Craft an Effective Message
Follow these best practices when writing your cold message:
Personalize the Message
Always customize your message to the specific person rather than just blasting the same text to everyone. Mention why you’re reaching out to them specifically based on their role, company, interests, location, etc.
Introduce Yourself
Briefly explain who you are, your current position, and 1-2 of your top skills or accomplishments relevant to the type of role you’re seeking. Provide context up front.
Express Interest
Explicitly state if you’re interested in opportunities at their company or a specific role that aligns with your background. This gives them context for why you’re reaching out.
Make an Ask
Include a specific call-to-action, like asking if they’d be open to a quick phone call to discuss potential fit. Giving next steps makes it easier for them to respond.
Keep it Brief
Your message should be short and to the point. Aim for no more than 3-5 concise paragraphs. Get to the punchline quickly without excessive small talk.
Proofread
Be sure to thoroughly proofread your message before sending to fix any errors or awkward phrasing. Grammatical mistakes make a bad impression.
Here’s an example cold message template:
Hi [Name],
My name is [Your Name] and I’m currently a [Your Current Role] at [Company]. I noticed on your LinkedIn profile that you work in talent acquisition at [Company They Work For], and I’m extremely interested in opportunities related to [Desired Role] you may have available.
Given my background in [Relevant Skill/Experience], I think I could be a great fit for your team. I’d love the opportunity to schedule a quick 15-20 minute phone call to learn more about your hiring needs and discuss how my skills might align. Are you available sometime in the next week or two for a brief chat?
Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to consider my message. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
[Your Name]
When to Send the Message
Aim to send your cold messages at optimal times when the recipient is most likely to read and respond:
- Early morning – Arrive in their inbox at the start of their work day
- Later afternoon – They’re winding down and more likely to catch up on messages
- Midweek – Tuesday through Thursday tend to be less hectic than Monday/Friday
- Non-holiday weeks – Avoid sending during major holidays or office vacation periods
You can also consider their LinkedIn activity level – if they’re active on the site that same day, they’re more likely to check messages.
Following Up
If you don’t receive a response within 1 week, it’s appropriate to follow up. Here are some tips for an effective follow-up message:
- Wait at least 5-7 days before following up
- Remind them of your original message and key details
- Be polite and gracious – don’t appear entitled to a response
- Consider changing the subject line to “Follow Up”
- Offer flexibility in connecting, like a phone call or coffee meeting
- If they respond to your follow up, be sure to thank them for their time and consideration
However, don’t overdo it on persistence – if they haven’t responded after a few follow-up attempts, it may be time to move on.
Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile
To boost your chances of a response, make sure your own LinkedIn profile is optimized with a professional photo, eye-catching headline, detailed work experience, and list of key skills. Recruiters will check out your profile, so put your best foot forward.
Here are some LinkedIn profile tips:
- Craft a compelling headline that grabs attention
- Show off your skills, awards, volunteer work, and other achievements
- Use high-quality professional photos – avoid selfies and unprofessional pics
- Customize your public profile URL – linkedin.com/yourname
- Add links to websites, portfolios or other online profiles to showcase your work
A polished, detailed profile establishes credibility and gives the hiring manager more reasons to be interested.
What to Avoid
There are also some common mistakes you’ll want to steer clear of when sending a cold message:
- Making it all about yourself without expressing interest in their company or role needs
- Using a generic template message sent en masse to hundreds of people
- Being too long-winded – keep it concise and scan-friendly
- Appearing entitled to the hiring manager’s time and assistance
- Aggressive follow up messages demanding a response
- Inaccurate claims or exaggerations about your skills or experience
Always be courteous, professional and truthful – you want to make a great impression!
Handling Rejections or Non-Responses
The reality is you likely won’t hear back from every hiring manager you message. How you handle rejection or non-responses says a lot about your character and professionalism.
If they decline your outreach or don’t respond, avoid burning bridges. Never retaliate or react emotionally. Simply move on in your search. And if you do eventually hear back with interest down the road, don’t hold a grudge!
Expanding Your Outreach
While cold messaging hiring managers can be effective, it shouldn’t be your only networking and job search strategy. Broaden the possibilities by also:
- Asking friends, family and former colleagues if they can refer you to openings
- Attending industry events and conferences to build connections
- Following companies you’re interested in and engaging with their content
- Joining relevant LinkedIn groups to share your expertise and interact with members
- Looking for company social media accounts you can follow and interact with
- Seeking out email addresses if possible to send messages directly to a company email
The more people that know you’re looking, the better your chances of being thought of for opportunities.
Tools to Identify Prospects
Searching for relevant hiring managers and recruiters manually on LinkedIn can be tedious. To streamline the process, consider using prospecting tools like:
- LinkedIn Recruiter – Powerful filtering and search capabilities for identifying prospects. Starts at $99/month.
- Seamless.AI – Finds email addresses for LinkedIn members starting at $49/month.
- RocketReach – Identifies best contacts at target companies. Has a free version.
- Lusha – Browser extension to find emails and contact info as you surf LinkedIn. Starts at $50/month.
- Hunter.io – Finds email addresses and contact info for many domains. Has a free version.
These tools can help uncover more potential leads in less time so you can focus on personalizing your outreach.
Conclusion
Sending a thoughtful cold message to a relevant hiring manager on LinkedIn can get your foot in the door for an opportunity. But focus on quality over quantity in your outreach, personalize each message, properly follow up, and always maintain a professional demeanor – even if rejected. With the right strategy, cold messaging can become an effective way to get on a recruiter’s radar.