Most people would rather send another batch of applications than one message to a stranger. I understand why. Applying feels safe. Nobody can say no to your face. Messaging someone feels like asking for a favour from a person who owes you nothing.
But an application puts your name in a pile. A short message puts it in front of a person. When you cannot know whether a person ever opens your application, that difference matters.
This article covers why outreach feels fake, why it does not have to, who to contact, what to write and how to follow up.
Why outreach feels fake
Outreach feels fake when it is fake: a copied message sent to everyone, flattery about someone's "inspiring journey", or a request for a job from a person who has never heard of you.
Good outreach is different. It is a short, honest note to a relevant person, about a specific role or a real shared interest. You are not asking them to hire you. You are making it easy for them to notice someone who might solve their problem.
Hiring managers want to fill their roles with good people. A clear message from a relevant candidate helps them do that. When you see it that way, you are offering something, not begging for something.
Who to message
Pick the person closest to the decision.
- The hiring manager. The person the role reports to. This is usually the best contact, because they feel the pain of the empty seat.
- Someone on the team. A future peer can tell you about the role and sometimes refer you.
- The recruiter for the role. Useful, especially at larger companies, but they are often handling many roles at once.
- People you already know. Former colleagues, classmates and friends who work at the company, or who know someone there.
Sometimes the ad names the recruiter or the hiring manager. If not, you can usually find them on LinkedIn by searching the company name with the team or title, and looking at who leads that team.
Apply first, then message
This is the step that takes the fakeness away. Apply for the role first, properly, on the company's own site if you can. Then send your message.
Now you are not asking for a job out of nowhere. You are telling a relevant person that you have applied and why you fit. That is a normal, professional thing to do, and it gives them a simple action: look for your application.
What to write
Keep it short. Three or four sentences. Make it about the role, not about your life story.
For a hiring manager, after you apply:
Hi [name], I applied today for the [role] on your team. I have spent [time] doing [the main thing the ad asks for], most recently [one specific result]. I would welcome a short conversation if it helps, and thank you for reading.
For a former colleague who works at the company:
Hi [name], I hope things are going well at [company]. I saw that the [team] is hiring a [role] and I have applied. Do you know anything about the team, or who I could speak to? No pressure at all, and thank you either way.
For someone you do not know on the team:
Hi [name], I am applying for the [role] at [company] and noticed you work in that team. I would value one or two lines on what the team is focused on this year, if you have a moment. Thank you.
What to leave out: long introductions, your full resume in the message, compliments you do not mean, and "I know you are busy, but".
Connection request or message?
On LinkedIn, you can add a short note to a connection request, or message someone directly if you are already connected or have a paid account. A connection note has to be even shorter, so use the first line of your message and keep the rest for after they accept.
If your account limits how many personalised notes you can send, save them for the people who matter most, such as hiring managers for roles you have applied to.
When there is no role to point to
Not all outreach starts with a job ad. Some of the best conversations happen before a role is posted, with people who work in the companies on your target list.
Here the message is even simpler, because you are not asking about a job at all. You are asking about their work:
Hi [name], I work in [your field] and I am looking at teams like yours at [company]. I enjoyed your post about [topic]. Would you be open to a short call some time about how your team works? Thank you either way.
Some people will say no, and many will not reply. The few who say yes give you something no job board can: an inside view, and a person who knows your name when a role opens.
Follow up once, then let it go
People are busy, and messages get buried. If you hear nothing, send one short follow-up about a week later:
Hi [name], just bringing this back to the top of your inbox. I am still very interested in the [role]. Thank you.
After that, stop. No reply is not a rejection of you as a person. It usually means the person is busy, not the right contact, or not active on LinkedIn. Move on to the next role with no hard feelings.
Build outreach into your week
Outreach works best as a small, steady habit, not a big push when you are desperate. A realistic week might include:
- a message to the hiring manager for each strong role you apply to;
- a few short check-ins with people you already know, with no ask attached;
- one or two follow-ups from the week before.
Track it the way you track applications: who you contacted, when, and what happened. Over a few weeks, you will see which kinds of messages get replies, and you can do more of what works.
A short example
Take a made-up case. Someone applies for a finance manager role at a mid-sized company. Before, they would have applied and waited. This time, they find the finance director on LinkedIn, the person the role reports to, and send three sentences: they have applied, they have run month-end close for a business of a similar size, and they recently led a change of accounting system.
The finance director replies the next day, says they will look for the application, and passes it to the recruiter with a note. The person gets a screening call that week.
Nothing about their resume changed. A person just knew to look for it.
How this fits into reverse recruitment
In a reverse recruitment search, your own outreach works alongside everything we do together. We fix positioning, build the strategy and refine it every week, rebuild the resume and LinkedIn, source fresh roles straight from employers, submit every application by hand to roles you approved, and prepare you for the interviews. A well-placed message is what helps the right person notice those applications. The goal throughout is to get you hired as fast as possible, on the criteria we agreed at the start.
Dr. Hosney Adel