Introduction
When you're searching for a job, you want to reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn. Recruiters are very busy people who can't spare the time to check their LinkedIn inboxes every five minutes. The key is to approach them in a way that will get their attention and make them want to help you. Here's how I've done this successfully many times:
The Right Way to Reach Out to a Stranger on LinkedIn
You should never send a generic message to everyone in your network. For example, you cannot send this message: "I'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn and learn about what's going on in your world." That's too vague. You need to be more specific about why you want to connect with that person specifically.
To do this, look at the recruiter's profile and see if there are any commonalities between yourself and them--schools attended or degrees earned, for example. Or maybe they have an open job posting that seems like something you'd be interested in pursuing. If so, let them know! You'll stand out among hundreds of other applicants because you took the time to craft a personalized message that shows how smart and thoughtful (er...smart) you are while still keeping it short enough not to bore people who don't want all day long stories about how great their life is going right now (or worse yet no stories at all).
Your Profile Must Be Strong
Your profile is the first impression you make on a recruiter. Make sure that it's up-to-date and accurate. It should have the right keywords in the summary and experience fields, as well as relevant jobs listed under your skills.
Don't forget to include a link to your portfolio if you have one!
A professional picture is also important. Make sure it looks like an actual person, not another stock photo! A good rule of thumb is that if someone can't tell who it is from across the room, then it probably isn't going to help them identify you either—so don't worry about being too recognizable or famous (unless that's what you're going for!). If possible, try to find a headshot that shows off some personality while still looking professional; there are plenty of sites online where people will create high-quality photos at reasonable prices (and often free).
Start With the Basics
Before you start contacting recruiters, it's important to understand how they think. Recruiters are looking for candidates who are interested in the job and have some experience with it. They want someone who can hit the ground running, so the first thing you should do is make sure that your profile reflects this mindset.
When I reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn, I like to start with basic questions: what they do and how they got started doing it. This shows them that you're interested in their work and gives them an idea of where your head is at when it comes to finding a job in a new industry or field—it demonstrates professionalism and respect for those who share similar interests with us (in this case, the love of recruiting).
Include Your Target
In order to reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn, you'll first need to identify a target company and then find the right person in that company.
The best way to do this is by searching for specific job titles on LinkedIn's jobs page (https://www.linkedin.com/jobs). You can filter the results by location or industry and then click the "See All" button at the bottom of your results list. This will give you a full list of professionals who work for that company in your geographic area or industry category, with their names listed alphabetically along with their current positions (if they've changed from where it says “last worked”).
Start With a Personal Connection
The first step to reaching out to recruiters is connecting with them on LinkedIn. This can be done by either searching the LinkedIn database, or by asking a mutual connection if they know anyone in your area looking for a hire like you.
Once you've found someone who might be interested in working with you, send them an introductory message and let them know why they should consider hiring you. Make sure to keep it professional and clear about what exactly you want from them—this will help ensure that they're not wasting their time on someone who isn't going anywhere!
If all goes according to plan, after some preliminary discussion about the position and your experience, then it's time for the recruiter to send out some job offers or interview requests so that both sides can move forward together towards filling this position (and hopefully getting paid). If something doesn't feel right along the way though—or if things just don't go according to plan--don't fret: just follow up politely until everything works out!
Leave Room for Them to Respond
This is where your pitch needs to be concise and to the point. It’s also important that you don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.
You want them to have an opportunity to respond, so give your pitch enough time and space for them do so.
Know how to reach out to people in a useful way
There are several ways to reach out to people on LinkedIn, and the most common way is through the contact button. It's simple, fast, and easy to use. But it isn't always the most helpful way.
Another important thing to consider when reaching out is knowing how you can use LinkedIn as a tool for your job search without just using it as a crutch. There are many ways that you can take advantage of LinkedIn; one thing in particular that I have found helpful is sending messages directly through the message feature on LinkedIn versus contacting people through email or phone calls (which I will talk about later). You can send messages directly from their profile page or by searching their name if they're not listed as one of your connections. This will allow them an opportunity to see what kind of person you are before accepting any potential offers or answering any questions you might have.
I know this all sounds complicated but once you try it out for yourself, there should be no problem getting started!
Conclusion
The right way to reach out to a stranger on LinkedIn is by following your basic instincts and making sure that your profile is high quality. You can also find common ground with the other person through personal connections or by targeting them directly with keywords that they love.