Written by Dave Cullen
The pervasiveness of social media websites in our lives has meant that candidates have discovered a new method of reaching recruiters and vice versa. Many recruitment companies are beginning to see the benefits of professional social sites such as Linkedin, which allow them to search for candidates and quickly assess their suitability for a role. Jobseekers can also directly engage with recruiters and keep up to date with the latest opportunities within their target industry. When a candidate has discovered a reputable recruiter that places people in their ideal role, subscribing to their feeds and following their company’s group is an excellent way of networking with them.
Recruiters expect to receive direct messages from candidates requesting assistance in their job search. The majority of recruiters will be happy to share their advice with jobseekers and potentially shop their CV around if they have a range of suitable roles for them. However it is important that candidates know how best to approach recruiters, as some networking techniques can give the wrong impression and may not be appreciated.
The following is a list of 4 common mistakes that candidates make when contacting recruiters through Linkedin.
1. I am looking for a job, can you help me?
Some candidates make the common mistake of believing that a recruiter is someone who finds jobs for people, when in fact they are tasked with finding suitable candidates to fill roles. Before contacting the recruiter, conduct some research and try to find some roles that interest you, apply for these positions online. Once you have found the types of opportunities that you wish to be put forward for, you can attempt to make contact with the recruiter and highlight these roles specifically.
2. Can you please provide Joe Blogg’s contact details?
Some Linkedin members make their telephone number and email address publically viewable on their profile. If they don’t, it’s because they want this information to be kept private. As a result, it is not appropriate for one of the members of their network to give out their contact details to a stranger. A more appropriate tactic would be to send an “Introduction request” via Linkedin.
3. Do you know anyone at (Company X)?
The recruiter probably has an extensive list of contacts at the company you are targeting, but rather than have them sift through their database, try conducting a search on Linkedin yourself. Ultimately if this is a company that you are primarily focused on, you will already know the departments and business areas that are most in line with your ambitions. Your search may reveal hiring managers and HR personnel within the company that may be helpful. From there you can send them an introduction request.
4. Can you review my CV and make recommendations?
If recruiters were to help every person who contacted them with their CVs they would have no time to place candidates. CV building and optimisation takes time and requires planning, assessment of your past experience and careful editing. It is recommended that you sit down with a professional career consultant to help you develop your CV, which a recruiter will likely refer you to.
For more information on networking through Linkedin, check out the following blog: “Using Linkedin to find a job”.
