Don’t forget this crucial step after you apply for a job, says recruiter who’s seen hundreds of resumes: ‘You’re doing them a favor’

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If you’ve just applied for a job, former Google recruiter Nolan Church recommends emailing the CEO of the company to let them know you’re interested. “Probably 90% of the time, we took calls with those people,” he previously told CNBC Make It.

But there’s another step you can take to get noticed if you can’t find their contact info or feel a little intimidated to reach out: Find the company’s recruiter on LinkedIn and reach out to them. “I highly recommend” doing this, says former Disney recruiter and author of forthcoming leadership book, “Build Smart,” Simon Taylor.

Here’s why he think this might move you ahead in the process.

‘You’re doing them a favor’

Reaching out to a recruiter on LinkedIn is a great way to get noticed, Taylor says.

“The recruiter’s job is to find people for these roles,” he says. And they have to go through dozens of resumes — sometimes more — to do that. If you truly believe you’re qualified for the role, “you’re doing them a favor by contacting them on LinkedIn and putting your name right in front of them,” he says.

To find that recruiter, go to LinkedIn’s search bar and type in the name of the company and “recruiter,” “hiring manager,” “talent acquisition” or any other term you think would help surface the right people. LinkedIn will then offer up a list of professionals that match your search.

‘I’ve just applied to X title’

Keep your message to the recruiter short.

Say, “Hi, I’ve just applied to X title,” says Taylor, and include the job ID number from the post you applied to. Then add a “quick summary of why you’re a great fit for that role,” attach your resume and thank them for their time.

Altogether, write up to two sentences “to summarize your experience and relevance for the role,” he says. If the recruiter wants to know more, they can look at that resume you’ve attached or reach out.

They’ll forward your message along

Sometimes it’ll be hard to narrow down exactly which recruiter is responsible for hiring someone for the position you applied to. In that case, says Taylor, reach out to three or four recruiters.

“People typically handle different types of departments,” he says, “so if someone gets an outreach from someone that looks qualified for a role” and they’re not the one responsible for hiring for it, they will forward it along to the right hiring manager.

If, ultimately, those three or four people are not responding, “maybe you’re not the right fit,” he says.

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