Here’s how you can network with recruiters on LinkedIn

LinkedIn currently reigns supreme as the world’s most popular professional network, which raises the question, are you using it to your advantage to network with recruiters?

If the answer is “no”, you could be missing out on untapped opportunities. Recruiters regularly trawl through LinkedIn in search of talent, which makes it important to reach out to them, especially if you’re actively searching for a job.

LinkedIn, however, has made it easier and less scary for professionals to network with recruiters, negating the need for awkward small talk. 

Why you should network with recruiters

There are several benefits to connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn. 

Reaching out for a connection request and dropping them a message after submitting a job application can help you stand out from others by making you a more memorable and (hopefully) more likeable candidate. 

Conversely, even if you aren’t actively looking for a job, you may still want to drop recruiters a message and a connection request anyway, as it can serve as a useful way to be considered for future positions within their company, or for the companies they help recruit for. 

How do you network with recruiters? 

Networking with recruiters has more to do then sending blind connection requests. You might first want to view their profile to understand who or the type of industries they typically recruit for, and ensure that your profile is up-to-date.

Before sending a connection request, think of a personalised message to accompany your connection request for a better acceptance rate. 

If you had just submitted a job application with the company the recruiter works for, you could attach a short message to say that you’ve submitted an application, share something about your experience that could be useful to the role that you’re applying to (rather than merely regurgitating the content of your resume) and end by saying that you hope you could speak with them soon.

Alternatively, if you’re merely looking to connect with more recruiters, you could drop them a message to say that you’re currently looking to expand your professional network and would love to connect for future opportunities. 

If they do accept your request, always follow-up with a thank you message. If they don’t, just move on.

If you’d like to follow-up about a job application, just circle back after a few weeks to ask if there’s an update. 

Even if they don’t have a positive answer about your job application, try to stay in touch by liking, sharing or even commenting on their posts. 

Even if they were unable to help you at this point in time, you could always try to help them in return, such as by passing them contacts to people whom you feel are suitable for the role that they’re actively recruiting for, which could lead them to see you as a helpful person and enhance your visibility with them for future roles.

Ultimately, reaching out to recruiters on LinkedIn can seem scary, but the benefits could pay off in the long run. Remember to stay friendly and professional, and with some effort, this could lead to a new job and better job.