Is it just me?

zenzeleubakacoulter·Aug 15, 2023

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I have a question that I am hoping someone with a little insight could help me out with regarding networking, but more specifically, reaching out to people on LinkedIn. I have seen countless posts encouraging job seekers to reach out to the hiring team on LinkedIn, or other associated employees for a company/role that we may be interested in. However, so far my experience has been that the individuals either never follow up with me, or they have specifically indicated that they do not offer 1-on-1 assistance regarding open positions. My question is this: Has this idea of reaching out become antiquated in today’s job market? If not, does anyone have tips on how to be successful in connecting with someone regarding an open position that I have an interest in?

Any and all feedback is appreciated! Thank you ladies!

RoxyQ·Aug 15, 2023

I've personally struggled with this and I'd say it's a hit or miss. Some people advise reaching out to random people in a specific company to get references or contact people directly, but how can someone reference you if they don't even know you and some people specifically say they don't want to be reached only send in your applications. I have in the past reached out to the individual that posted the job ad and is identified as the hiring manager. Though they responded, it didn't bear any fruit. That's the most I'd do reaching out to directly unless I knew the individual personally.Good luck! It's tough out there.

Morgan·Aug 15, 2023

Everyone gives and gets the same advice on LinkedIn, so everyone follows it, and recruiters don't think it's special. You're just the 18th person to message them today. They may direct you to someone who can help, but it never leads to a job offer IMO. I would send more messages to people who work in similar roles to yours in the company with a few questions, reaffirming that it's okay if they don't answer, I'm not looking for a phone call (god no). I've had better luck there!

CristinaM·Aug 16, 2023

There are three very separate contexts here but all lead to the same advice on my end:- In-house recruiters - they use ATS systems to work efficiently, so rookies might not pay attention to CVs incoming via LI or other channels...however, direct contact is the only chance you get to bypass the machine, so I highly recommend it. Some of them might not answer, but that does not mean they do not scan your message...- Hiring managers - typically they are looking for motivated people to join them and direct messaging speaks motivation. Again, whether they answer or not is highly irrelevant, but what might happen is that they might take longer to view your messages because they typically do not keep their LI open at all times;- Recruiters in recruitment companies - they are always looking for the fast track to closing a role, so there is no way that they do not read your message and take a few seconds to check you out; Super-importantly, absolutely customize your message and under no circumstance contact them if you're not the right fit. Why? Because the second time you try this out with them, they will remember you wasting their time...Back to networking though, as this was your initial question. LinkedIn is no longer a social network - it is a social marketplace.So where do we network professionally now? Here, on Elpha :) and on a lot of other "micro-networks".

Brionna·Aug 17, 2023

I love this distinction about Linkedin being a social marketplace! It hasn't felt like a network for a long time to me and I definitely always find more help here on Elpha and other networks than I do on Linkedin. I appreciate you putting language to what I've been sensing!

melaniecrissey·Aug 16, 2023

There's a possibility it could be the content / framing of your outreach? A lot of tech companies promote "internal referral programs" where they're soliciting employees to recommend candidates for positions, sometimes even with a cash or prize bonus for people who refer people who accept offers. The preference is that people recommend friends or colleagues that are "vetted" meaning they've worked with them before and can speak to the quality of their work. But! Sometimes internal team members will refer a candidate they've only met recently if they think they're a good enough fit for the role.If you're reaching out saying, "Hey! I saw your company is hiring for [this role]. I am about to put in my application and I'd love to chat with you about it." people might respond by feeling, "Eh, I don't have time to meet this candidate. We'll let the hiring team / ATS system deal with it."But, if you reach out saying something more like, "Hey! Would you be willing to meet with me for a 20-min virtual coffee over Zoom? I'm researching companies as I think about my next move in customer success and I'd love to learn more about how your team operates..." then you might be more likely to get a "Yes." I think the trick is to get relationships built before the job even opens, so you're top of mind when the rec gets approved. Until then, I'd recommend you share a few super positive LinkedIn posts that highlight what you love about customer success and your opinions about what great CX looks like. LinkedIn is overly-crowded with negative "laid off," "help me," "it's brutal out there," "I've got kids to feed..." posts right now. Boosting your feed with some authoritative content that highlights your personality could help you make a great first impression as you're doing outreach.Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn! I used to work in Customer Success and may have some contacts. My network is your network. https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniecrissey/

zenzeleubakacoulter·Aug 16, 2023

I will definitely give a swing at the approach you suggested Melanie, and you're so right about the current status of my LinkedIn feed. I'm guilty of only having 2 posts so far and both are kind of along the lines of the same negative outlook. I'm going to add you as well! Thank you!

oaladeselu·Aug 16, 2023

I do think the idea of reaching out has become antiquated especially right now with the continued rise of job loss and the overall landscape of the market. So many people are reaching out to people that I'm sure it's overwhelming not to mention that some people are reaching out with only an ask, no intro, backstory, compliment, or anything to show how it can be a mutually beneficial relationship. I will note I was struggling with this some time ago as well and quickly realized that LinkedIn is honestly another social media platform giving the same advice on repeat which adds to being overwhelmed. I would reach out with no response even from those whose CTA was "message me" or connect with me after an event. I've even tried to book sessions with people who promoted their Calendly or mentor links only to learn it was for show. lol So I understand.What has worked for me is connecting with someone I know and requesting an introduction;Check LinkedIn activity before messaging on Linkedin because some people aren't that active so it may be easier to email if you really want to connect with that specific person;After an event, don't just add the person, add a relevant note in the connection request;Seek more laterally to 1-2 step connections or adjunct connections.Connect with people on mentor-specific sites or communities like this one or on slack/discord, etc - a higher % of them tend to be more receptive to talking;Also, what has "sort of" helped is commenting directly on LinkedIn posts or reposting with your thoughts.Hope these help.

Shasta21·Aug 17, 2023

I’ve had so many reach out to me on LinkedIn to ask for referrals. I haven’t given any referrals for these as I just don’t know these people at all. I definitely don’t hold it against them though, I understand people are just trying to find jobs and stuff so I understand the hustle. As an early candidate I also reached out to some on LinkedIn and never really heard back. I don’t think it hurts to try but I just don’t think it is very effective.