#Is cold LinkedIn messaging still worth it to get a job ?

11 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

burnt scaffold
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Hiring managers of the community,

I’m currently job searching and experimenting with cold outreach on LinkedIn, mainly targeting small and mid-size companies.

The message template I usually use is like this:

"Hello [First name],
I hope you are doing well. I am a former student at [my school name] School, passionate about web development, and I am very interested in the work you do at [Companie's name].
I am reaching out to ask whether there might be any internship or job opportunities opening up in the near future. I would be delighted to contribute and learn as part of your team.
Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to your reply."

I already sent tens of these sometimes I get asked for my resume, but nothing happens, sometimes I get promised to be informed once a new opportunity is available, but nothing happens as well. But most of the time I just get ignored with no response.

This method got me zero interviews until now, but I still hope that I might accidently run to a free job in the right time and get an interview.

From your perspective:

-Would you reply to this message?

  • What actually makes you reply to a cold LinkedIn message?

  • What immediately makes you ignore one?

Any honest insights (even harsh ones) would really help.

Thanks for taking the time.

keen scroll
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Putting yourself in their shoes, what do you think?

dull yarrow
# burnt scaffold Hiring managers of the community, I’m currently job searching and experimenting...

I have about a 5% response rate to cold call messages on LinkedIn. It has led to interviews and job leads before though rarely, most the time if people respond at all it's to say "sorry I can't help you".

I had one today though that led to an interview. I've gotten leads before they hit the job board before. My rule of thumb though is..

Keep it very short. 1-2 sentences
Ask an open ended question

Example...
Hey I see you work as a [Job] at [Company]. I'm a Software Engineer looking for opportunities that fit me. What's it like working there?

Most the time if they're aware of job openings they'll tell you. If they don't know or there aren't any they might start a dialogue and now you have networked yourself a contact. This might pay off in the future it might not.

Networking is the long-game and may not net tangible results, but diversifying what you try is always worth it imho. I just wouldn't prioritize doing this over other things (like applying).

burnt scaffold
dull yarrow
burnt scaffold
frank ruin
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From my experience, recruiters often react very* negatively to cold emails. I have sent over 100 and while some responded positively, many replied in a a condescending manner. Results vary significantly and depend heavily on the corporation (for example, FAANG recruiters most often react perturbely to cold emails ).

slim sinew
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Late to this but I'd find a role you're interested in, DON'T APPLY YET, find what team it's for (usually stated in the job posting), look up the company on linkedin, search through the people with that team keyword, find the HM (or person on that team if you can't find the HM), and connect with them with a personalized message saying that you're interested in the role and why you would be a good fit, and ask to schedule a quick call (2-4 sentences MAX). Get linkedin premium (the trial is free) so you can send unlimited messages with your connection requests.

If they respond, you'll likely either be passed directly to a recruiter or get on a call with the HM, which is even better.

This is how I got multiple interviews over the last 6 months & my current offer.

In the age of the AI-apply, this is the second best approach behind having an official referral IMO. Applying without a referral is like throwing your resume in a black hole.

keen scroll
# slim sinew Late to this but I'd find a role you're interested in, DON'T APPLY YET, find wha...

it really depends because oftentimes applying with or without a referral is no difference. your anecdote is worth as much as mine: I got 3 offers in my latest job search and I wasn't referred not even once.

I also wouldn't say "don't apply" - just apply and tell the recruiter/hm/whoever that you applied and they will be able to find your application easily.

your strategy for finding and getting in touch with the right people is really good though and I think can help

solemn niche
solemn niche