Finding a new job can be challenging. With so many companies and roles to choose from, it’s difficult to know where to start. One great resource that job seekers should leverage in their search is LinkedIn. With over 800 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform. Making connections with recruiters on LinkedIn can help open doors to new career opportunities. But what’s the best way to reach out to a recruiter when sending a connection request? Crafting an effective LinkedIn connection message is key to getting a recruiter’s attention.
When sending a connection request to a recruiter on LinkedIn, your message needs to do a few things:
- Introduce yourself
- Explain why you want to connect
- Highlight your relevant skills, experience, or interests
- Keep it short and compelling
An excellent LinkedIn connection message to a recruiter should be customized, concise, and conversational. Focus on making a strong first impression and giving the recruiter a sense of who you are as a candidate.
Craft a Customized Message
When reaching out to a recruiter, avoid sending generic connection requests. Instead, personalize the message to indicate that you have specifically chosen to connect with this particular individual.
Mention the recruiter by name and make it clear you have reviewed their profile and are interested in connecting based on shared connections, similar work histories, or groups in common.
Demonstrate that you have taken the time to learn a bit about who they are and why it makes sense to connect. This personalized approach is much more effective than sending an identical message to every recruiter you come across.
Keep it Concise
While you want to customize the message, also aim to keep it relatively short and to the point. Long-winded connection requests are likely to get ignored amidst the many other messages recruiters receive.
You generally want to keep a LinkedIn connection request to 3-4 sentences max. Get right to the heart of why you want to connect without excessive wordiness.
Being succinct shows respect for the recruiter’s time while still allowing you to highlight the key points of alignment between you.
Use a Conversational Tone
In addition to being concise, it helps to use a conversational tone in your LinkedIn connection request to a recruiter. Write the message as you would speak it out loud. Avoid overly formal or stiff language.
Using a casual, friendly voice makes the message more warm and approachable. It sets the right tone for starting a networking relationship, rather than jumping right into asking for a job.
Starting off the connection with some common ground through a conversational introduction enables a more natural rapport.
Highlight Your Relevant Background
While you want to keep the length in check, it is important to highlight details from your background that are most relevant to the recruiter.
Carefully select 1-2 sentences that communicate your skills, experience, credentials, or interests that align with the recruiter and types of roles they work on.
Providing meaningful context on your qualifications helps get the recruiter’s attention and provides talking points for future conversations.
Include a Clear Next Step
Close your LinkedIn connection request to a recruiter by indicating your interest in connecting further after they accept.
This could include asking for a phone call, mentioning you have applied for open roles, or expressing interest in learning more about opportunities.
Providing a clear next step demonstrates proactivity on your part and gives the recruiter a sense of your intentions.
It presents a call to action for following up after making the initial connection.
Proofread Before Sending
With any professional communication, it’s always wise to proofread before hitting send. Double check for typos, grammar issues, repetitive phrasing, or unclear sentences.
Reading your message out loud can help catch any areas that need polishing. A perfectly crafted message won’t make the impact you want if it includes obvious errors.
Taking the extra minute to proofread shows your attention to detail and the priority you place on presenting yourself professionally.
Example LinkedIn Connection Messages
To make crafting your own connection requests easier, here are a few example messages to recruiters that incorporate the above tips:
Shared Connections Message
Dear Monique,
My name is John Smith. I noticed we are both connected to Jane Lee and David Chen. I am very interested in the account management roles you recruit for at XYZ Company. I have 5 years of experience in account management and business development, primarily in the tech industry. I would love to connect with you to learn more about your open roles and discuss how my background may be a fit. Looking forward to connecting!
Best,
John
Common Interests Message
Hi Ryan,
I hope you are doing well. My name is Sarah Miller – I am a marketing manager with experience in digital media and social media marketing. I couldn’t help but notice that we are both members of the Digital Marketing Association. I am very interested in PropNet’s marketing team and initiatives. It would be great to connect with you here on LinkedIn to discuss our shared interests in advancing digital marketing techniques. Please let me know if you would be open to connecting further.
Thanks,
Sarah
Credentials Message
Good afternoon Emily,
My name is Thomas Brown. I recently earned my PMP certification and saw that you recruit project managers with PMPs for Johnson Tech Corp. I have been working in project management for the last 3 years managing key initiatives across IT, operations, and customer implementations. With my new certification and experience, I am extremely interested in learning more about project management opportunities at Johnson Tech Corp. I would appreciate the chance to connect with you here on LinkedIn and discuss your open roles. Looking forward to your thoughts!
Regards,
Thomas
Key Takeaways
When reaching out to a recruiter with a LinkedIn connection request, keep these best practices in mind:
- Personalize the message with their name and details that show you reviewed their profile
- Be concise – 3-4 sentences max
- Use a conversational, friendly tone
- Highlight relevant details on your background
- Close with a next step request – phone call, interview request, etc.
- Proofread before sending!
Crafting a customized, compelling message shows a recruiter that you are motivated and proactive. With these tips, you can write effective LinkedIn requests that grab recruiters’ attention and help advance you on your job search journey.
Now that we’ve covered best practices for LinkedIn connection messages, let’s look at some frequently asked questions related to connecting with recruiters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I include my resume in a LinkedIn connection request?
In most cases, avoid attaching your resume to a LinkedIn connection request. The message itself should be focused on introducing yourself and expressing interest in the company or roles the recruiter works on. Sending your resume right off the bat can come across as presumptuous before you have even made the connection. After the recruiter accepts your request, you can then offer to send your resume in a follow up message to provide more detail on your background.
Is it okay to connect with multiple recruiters at the same company?
Yes, it’s perfectly fine to reach out to multiple recruiters at an organization you are interested in. Different recruiters may focus on various departments, job levels or geographic regions. Connecting with several recruiters expands your visibility at the company and gives you multiple networking opportunities. The key is customizing each connection request rather than blanket messaging all of the company’s recruiters. Treat each outreach as unique by referencing the individual recruiter’s role and background in your message.
How often should I follow up if I don’t get a response?
If a recruiter does not respond to your initial connection request, you can follow up once after about 2 weeks. Send them a brief message re-expressing your interest in connecting. If they do not respond after an additional 1-2 weeks, it’s best not to continue pursuing the connection. Recruiters get very high volumes of messages, and non-response likely indicates polite disinterest. Don’t take it personally, and focus your efforts networking with other professionals.
What’s the best way to maintain the relationship after connecting?
Once a recruiter has accepted your connection request, be strategic about periodic outreach to nurture the relationship. You could forward relevant articles, comment on their posts, or send occasional messages to have quick, value-adding conversations. When job opportunities arise that you are interested in, proactively reach out indicating your interest and fit. The key is adding value for the recruiter in your ongoing interactions and keeping your candidacy top of mind.
Should I change my LinkedIn photo or profile details before reaching out?
Making sure your entire LinkedIn presence is up-to-date and professional is smart before connecting with recruiters. Your profile photo should be high quality – avoid casual selfies. Review all your profile content and update any outdated information. Customize your public profile URL and headline to showcase your value proposition. Doing a periodic refresh of your profile ensures recruiters will see your best possible presentation.
Conclusion
Connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn provides invaluable opportunities to grow your professional network and access new job openings. But simply sending random connection invites won’t get you very far. Crafting thoughtful, personalized messages is the key to engaging recruiters. Keep your outreach concise yet compelling. Spend the extra time tailoring each request to the individual recruiter and their focus areas. With a strategic approach, you can build relationships with recruiters that foster fruitful conversations and open career doors. Use these LinkedIn best practices to take your job search outreach to the next level.