In This Issue

1. Welcome Message

2. Making the most of Linked In Messaging

3. Q+A

Welcome Back

This week I am going to be discussing inmails, the truth behind them and how to make the most out of the small amount of time you have with them.

For those who may not be aware, an Inmail is Linkedin’s Email system. Any message you send to somebody through Linkedin is considered an Inmail. Some users are free to inmail and others require credits that can be purchased as part of Linkedin premium plans. Inmails are not something you must use or must pay for on your search.

While I will be using real life examples of inmails I have sent and received with all identifying info removed, I want to be very clear: I am in no way making light of people who need a job, nor making a personal attack on anyone who sent these message.

However, I think it is easy to look at some of these and of course agree that the message is very unlikely to help you find the next role. This newsletter is about making the most of the things we are doing, not about criticizing those who are not making the most of them.

How to best use inmail to help on your search.

The Deluge of Messages: A Recruiter's Inbox Reality 

Recruiters often receive hundreds of messages anytime they open a job. Despite not having specific job openings at the moment, as a freelancer, I still receive countless messages despite having no jobs posted. With such a full inbox, it's easy for your message to get lost in the shuffle. Sending inmails can be a valuable tool, but if it doesn't grab someone’s attention immediately, it will not help.

It also must be acknowledged that you could send a great message, but still simply not have it read. If I receive several hundred emails about a single job, it would be unrealistic to expect me to read and reply to every one, ON TOP of actually reviewing the resumes and doing other parts of the job. Accepting this is important, because a complaint I often here is “nobody responds to inmails”

Inmails are not a secret hack despite what some content creators will tell you, they are 1 more tool to try that may or may not work for you. However if you are going to use them, it’s important to use them well.

That being said here are a few things to avoid in your inmail:

1. Generic Messaging

Take a look at this message. Generic messaging makes up the majority of unhelpful inmails recruiters often get. I am only including one, but rest assured almost every recruiter can show you an entire inbox full of messages like this.

This is the equivalent of sending “hi” on a dating website. Not only do I know nothing about this person and their experience, I don’t even really know what they want to do. Beyond the obvious fact that this message has been copied and pasted to every recruiter this person has found, it just gives me nothing to work with and is unlikely to get a response from an overwhelmed manager or recruiter

2. Inmails asking me to do the work for you

Obviously a recruiter has to do work, but sending them messages asking questions you should already know the answer to- especially about if any jobs are open- is a great way to say that you’re just mass mailing anyone you can find. After the generic messages, these are the most common messages recruiters get.

The time is yours, you are allowed to do this, but if the goal is making the most out of the time you are getting from a recruiter or manager, don’t waste that time asking them questions you could easily already know the answer to.

Imagine how much further this message could take someone if it were to be read and mention a specific job to the recruiter and ask for an opportunity to discuss this. In a world where we can not read and reply to every inmail, asking them to do some research and get back to you is not likely to get you a response.

3. Sloppy and inaccurate Inmails

We all make typos, we all make mistakes, but we do have to show we are making some kind of an effort when we send messages to people.

This message is likely copied and pasted from a previous message they sent as I can assure you I did not have a housekeeper/server position posted. This is not a misspelling, this is taking less than 5 seconds to be sure the inmail made sense to send. Yes the time investment is low in this situation, but the payoff will always be 0. It’s important to make sure you are sending the right message at a minimum.

So What should you do and do I have an example?

I’m glad you asked, here are the areas that are important to focus on a good inmail given the small amount of time somebody may have to read it should they open it.

1. Do Your Homework Before reaching out

Take the time to research the company, the role and the current postings. This will help you tailor your message to show that you're not just sending a mass message.

2. Be Concise and Specific

Recruiters appreciate brevity. Get straight to the point by introducing yourself, mentioning why you're interested in the role, and highlighting a relevant skill or experience. Make it easy for them to see your value in a glance.

3. Show Your Value

Highlight how your skills and experience align with the requirements of the job. Mention specific achievements or projects that demonstrate your qualifications. This is your chance to showcase why you're a perfect fit.

4. Authentic Personalization

Reference a recent project the company worked on, a specific job posting, or a recent news article related to their industry. Authentic personalization goes a long way, but too many people are putting what I call “phony personalization” into their messages. To me that includes things like sending a general template with “title” or “school of person” subbed in.

5. Clear Call to Action 

Wrap up your message with a clear call to action. Whether it's requesting a conversation, sharing your portfolio, or asking about the next steps.

Here is an inmail I used to get an interview last year for a role that had over 800 applicants that you can see check all of these boxes:

There is no template that you can copy and paste here because a template email is unlikely to work, but here I showed a genuine interest in the company, why I thought a connection was there, showed I had researched the company a bit, discussed how I could bring value to the role, came off authentic and left a call to action (sort of, I could have done that better). I received a reply to this the day I sent it and an interview was set up, despite the manager’s inbox being full.

You don’t HAVE to do the inmails to recruiters and hiring manager approach to job seeking. But if you’re going to, take the time to make it count.

Q+A

I’d love to answer your question in an upcoming issue. Submit any questions you’d like me to discuss here.

Q: I have been out of work for 18 months for health concerns. How should I address it in my resume - to avoid as best as possible being passed over and in an interview when asked about it? Is there a best way to talk about this? How do I address concerns about whether I am fit to work now? - Carol

A: This is a common question right now, and as more people find themselves unemployed for long periods of time in this market, it becomes even more common. There are a few things that have to be accepted before I dive into how I recommend handling this situation.

• There will be people who pass over you because of a gap, you can’t win everyone over and you can’t try. We are not going to be concerned with the people who will rule you out from the start

• You likely will make a lateral move at best in your career, potentially even a step back depending on you and your skills and role. You are very unlikely to receive a promotion during a bad job market after an 18 month gap. Be sure to be applying to the right roles accordingly

• This advice is my suggestion, after accepting those 2 things. I know there are other people I respect in the recruiting/hiring space who will disagree with this and also have valid reasons. There is no perfect answer here and you DO NOT have to follow this advice, but is what I recommend doing and I’ll explain why.

The way I address a career gap on a resume is to simply just address it by calling it out in a brief and straightforward way as the most recent role in your experience. For example:

Career Break- Health 2/2022-Present

Role at X company 10/2018-2/2022

• Your Normal Bullet points

This does a few things.

1. This rules out the people we said we must accept exist above. If they are going to not hire you because you took a few years off for your health, then let them pass on you right now and save the time. In the question you mention wanting to avoid being passed over, however I think making the wrong people pass you over is beneficial. If they are this not understanding about a health break, just wait for the first health concern or issue while working there. Let them pass on you now and move on.

2. This also avoids the question about it during an interview. When the gap is addressed with a clear (but not overly specific) reason on your resume, there is no real need to dig in during an interview besides a few questions such as “Are you ready to work now” or “How have stayed up to date in this area”. These are the kinds of questions you’ll have to answer no matter what. But now you don’t need to awkwardly fumble your way through explaining why the gap is there, they already know.

3. If they dig in and ask about the health issues, you know this is probably the wrong place for you anyway. Again there should be no questions beyond just making sure you are good to work now.

I think this works for health breaks, family breaks, stay at home parents, or any career sabbatical. By calling it out from the start you will avoid the people that were never going to get past it and cut off an awkward line of questions in the interview. You can’t change the narrative, but you can control how it is discussed and viewed.

Now get out there and make the most of your inmails and own your career gaps!

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