5 Ways To Get Noticed by a Recruiter
Recruiters have a significant amount of power in the job search game. They sit in a unique position between applicants and hiring managers deciding who goes in the MAYBE pile and who goes straight to the NO pile. If you’re currently looking for a job or plan to be in the near future, this 3-minute read could be a game-changer for you.
I went straight to the source and asked two of Portland’s top recruiters what catches their attention. Take note of these 5 easy ways you can get noticed by a recruiter and get closer to your dream job:
1. Reach out to them.
I find people are often intimidated by recruiters. Yes, they are a sort of magical gatekeeper to career bliss but they can help you! Liz McBride, Senior Product Recruiter at Atlassian, says, “Send us a personalized message via LinkedIn. Don’t just send a generic request to connect.” Recruiters are amazing at connecting people with opportunities so don’t be shy to send recruiters in your area a note to let them know who you are and what you’re looking for.
2. Engage with them.
Recruiters regularly post on LinkedIn. McBride says, “You can get noticed by engaging with what we post. Whether you like, comment, or share one of our posts, we’ll notice!” Combining McBride’s first and second tips, I’d suggest using what a recruiter posts on LinkedIn as an intro in the message you send them. For example, “I saw your recent post about xxx. I’d love to introduce myself…”
3. Write a killer LinkedIn summary.
The LinkedIn summary is the section below your name and city that should be a paragraph or two long but many people leave it blank. Don’t make a recruiter have to do the work to try to figure out your story – make it easy and compelling by writing a great LinkedIn summary. I advise my clients to start their summaries with years of experience, functional expertise (i.e. marketing, office management, etc.), and add a little personality to it. Jeff Barker, Head of Talent Acquisition at AltSource, says, “The big no-no is when people write their LinkedIn summary in the third person.” Barker adds your summary should showcase “a balance that shows you’re a top-notch employee but also a human being.”
4. Highlight results.
Barker also says, “When describing your work experience on LinkedIn and on your resume, it’s customary to talk about your responsibilities but measurable results matter just as much or arguably more. It’s important people know what you did but it’s crucial they know whether or not you were effective and successful in doing so.” Whenever you can, include numbers that show impact and try as you work on projects to set goals that can be measured – that’ll be great resume-building material later!
5. Get referred.
Ask your friends and people in your network if they’ve worked with a recruiter. If they have, and if you have solid experience, both of you can win if they introduce you to a recruiter they worked with. Many recruiting firms pay for referrals that lead to someone being hired so if you have a friend who was placed in a position by a recruiter, don’t be shy to ask them to refer you.
If you found this advice helpful and still want more, check out my recent blog post How to Optimize Your LinkedIn So Recruiters Find You. If you need more help landing your dream job, check out my online course or my book, Made To Hire: How to Get the Job You Really Want.