IU #003: How to Reach Out to a Hiring Manager on LinkedIn

I speak to aspiring data analysts every day. The most common complaint I hear is how much they dread applying for jobs.

I get it.

Each application takes forever. Most of the time, you hear nothing back. It’s not clear if the hiring manager even got to your application.

It’s a nightmare.

A different approach

It wasn’t long ago that I was in the same situation (complaining about the same thing).

The good news is that I found a different approach.

In this 3rd edition of Infinite Upside, I will show you how to contact a hiring manager directly.

I’ll show you what to say and explain why it works.

One last thing before we begin.

If you didn’t receive this post in your emails, hit subscribe so you don’t miss it next time. Every Friday, I share a strategy to help you land a job in data through online networking.

Let’s get started.

(Read time: 5 minutes)

How to find hiring managers on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is great for this. It’s built for online networking.

I like to start in the ‘Jobs’ section. Search by country and job title.

Let’s pretend you’re looking for a Data Analyst role in Las Vegas.

Here, I found a company called Maximus. When you reach this stage, read each job description and learn about the company. This detail will be important later.

If you click, ‘Company’, you can also see who works there. This job is in Vegas, so don’t forget to filter for staff in that location.

Between LinkedIn and the company website, you should find the hiring manager. If not, connect with a few people in the same department.

In other newsletters, I can share how to talk to staff that are not the hiring manager.

They can explain what it’s like to work at the company, who you should speak to and what the business needs from you.

They might even offer to introduce you to the hiring manager. But that’s a topic for another day.

Find people who are active on LinkedIn

If someone hasn’t posted LinkedIn content since 1963, they probably won’t reply to your message.

Find active people and leave comments on their posts. This builds credibility and trust.

Leaving comments on LinkedIn is the friendliest way to barge into people’s lives in 2023.

A little research goes a long way

Most people don’t put much effort into their opening messages. They send the same generic stuff to everyone and wonder why they get ignored.

For better results, study their profile page. Find 1-2 interesting things about them and personalise your opening message.

Lean into anything you have in common. If you have a mutual friend, definitely mention them.

Use their name when you message them. ‘Hi, Michael’ reads so much better than ‘Hi’. When people use my name, I instantly feel more connected to them. It’s silly, but it’s true.

How to write an opening message

So far, we’ve learned to:

• Personalise

• Be polite and friendly

• Find people active on the platform

Now, here is the secret sauce.

The reason that 99% of people struggle with online networking is that they only think of themselves.

They want a job, so they frame the entire conversation from their perspective.

Don’t do this.

Instead, think from the other person's point of view.

Let’s dissect everything the other person could think when your first message hits their inbox.

What people think when they receive a private message

• ‘Who is this person? Do I know them?’

This is why commenting on people’s posts is so powerful. It gets you through this first stage.

If they remember your comment, they think, “Oh, I recognise them.’

Good start.

• ‘Why is this person messaging me?’

Everyone gets messages inviting them to events, selling them products or people asking them for jobs.

When they get your message, their guard goes up. ‘What do they want?’

It is a tricky one to manage. If you give them nothing here, they’ll get suspicious.

I change my strategy depending on who the person is. If they are hiring, I get straight to the point. If not, I try to build a longer-term relationship.

I’ll share a strategy for the latter in future newsletters.

• ‘Do they send this message to everyone?’

Again, this is why personalisation is key.

You are more likely to get a response if your message couldn’t have been sent to 156 people. You put in effort, so they are happy to return the favour.

• ‘Do I trust this person?’

An optimised LinkedIn profile and a network of mutual friends in the industry help here too. They show that you are the real deal.

Other people trust you, so they should too.

• ‘Is this person good at what they do?’

Your LinkedIn profile, portfolio of work and resume help answer this.

• ‘I’m so busy. Do I have the time for this?’

This is why being polite helps too.

If you acknowledge that this person is busy, that helps. It’s also good to explain that you don’t want too much of their time.

Ideally, you can explain when you are going to go away. ‘Can I send you 2 short questions about X topic?’

The more information the person has about when the conversation will end, the less risk they take by engaging with you.

Don’t vaguely ask for 30 minutes to ‘pick their brain’.

Be specific with your questions and exactly how much of their time you are asking for.

• Why should I respond to this person?

Don’t focus too much on YOUR needs. It makes them feel like they are doing you a favour. Don’t turn them into a charity.

So, here comes the secret sauce.

Reframe the entire conversation so it sounds like you are doing THEM a favour. (Or at least, you are doing favours for each other)

If you speak to a staff member, they can impress their boss by recommending the perfect candidate. The same is true if you are messaging a recruiter.

Yes, you will benefit too, but online networking is about building relationships with mutual benefits.

If you are messaging a hiring manager, you are making their life easier because they don’t want to pick through 300 resumes.

People want things to be simple. Make engaging with you the simplest thing to do.

Reframe the conversation. Show YOUR value

This is where all your research comes together. If you know how the business:

• Makes money

• Uses data

• Engages with their customers

It will be much easier to show how YOU can add value.

How to reach out to a hiring manager on LinkedIn

There are MANY ways to do this.

Here is an approach that politely gets straight to the point.

The only aim of this message is that the hiring manager reads your resume:

Hi [Hiring Manager's Name],

I came across your profile on [mutual friend] account. I noticed on your profile that [something about their background].

I work in data myself. My background is in {skills/experience], but I love how [your company] uses data to [something about their business strategy].

I’ve done very similar work at [company]. I managed to [share an relevant insight or experience]. I think the work on this [relevant topic] could really help [company name].

I’m living in [local area] so I feel like this could be a fantastic opportunity for me too.

Do you mind if I share my resume with you?

I am sure you are very busy, so thank you so much for your time.

Best,

{Your name]

As I said, there are many strategies for reaching out. This is just one of them. I will dive deeper into the other ways in future newsletters.

I hope this has helped!

Next time you are on LinkedIn, drop me a comment telling me what you think. I can answer your questions there.

I can't wait to hear about your results too!

If you find this helpful, please share this link with your friends.

See you next week,

Michael