Job Search · UK 2026
How to message a recruiter on LinkedIn
Time
15 mins
Difficulty
Easy
Steps
8
Recruiters get 50-100 LinkedIn messages a month. Most go straight to ignore. The 5-10 that get replies share specific patterns: short, role-specific, evidence of research. Here is how to write a message that actually gets a response.
Step-by-step
- 1
Pick the right recruiter
Don't message generalist recruiters. Pick someone whose post history shows they specialise in your sector and at your level. Look at the roles they've placed (visible from their LinkedIn activity) and the companies they post about. A senior tech recruiter at a top fintech specialist firm is worth messaging if you're senior tech in fintech. A generalist agency recruiter is a worse use of your time.
- 2
Find the connection point
Before writing the message, find ONE specific thing that justifies the outreach. They posted about a relevant role yesterday. They wrote a piece about your sector. They mentioned a placement that's adjacent to your background. They commented on a topic you have direct experience in. The connection point goes in sentence 1.
- 3
Open with the specific connection
"I saw your post about the senior PM role at [company] yesterday and wanted to introduce myself." Or: "I noticed you specialise in fintech engineering placements in London — that's the area I'm currently looking at." Or: "I read your piece on hybrid working in the UK market last week and wanted to connect — I'm thinking about moves where the hybrid arrangement matters." This earns the read.
- 4
State your one-line credibility
Sentence 2: who you are professionally in one line. "I'm a senior product manager with 8 years of B2B SaaS experience, currently leading the SMB segment at [company]." Concrete title, concrete background, concrete employer. No "results-driven" filler.
- 5
Make the ask specific and low-friction
Sentence 3: a clear ask that's easy to say yes to. "Open to a 15-minute call next week to introduce myself, or happy to send my CV?" Or: "Would you be open to a brief chat about the [role] when you have time?" Don't demand an immediate response. Don't ask for a job directly. Make saying yes easy.
- 6
Keep it under 80 words
Three sentences. 80 words max. Anything longer signals you don't value their time. Recruiters scan messages in 5-10 seconds; if yours is too long it gets skipped.
- 7
Don't attach your CV in the first message
Wait until they reply asking for it. Sending your CV unprompted in the first message signals desperation and means you've given the recruiter more work to do before they've even said yes to a conversation. Reply rate drops noticeably with attachments in the first message.
- 8
Follow up once after 4-6 weeks if no reply
If silence, leave it 4-6 weeks then send one follow-up with a different angle — a specific role they've posted, a comment on their content, a sector update. Three messages total over 3 months is the right cadence for a recruiter you genuinely want on your radar. More becomes pestering.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✗Generic 'I'd love to connect' or 'I'm looking for opportunities — please let me know if you have anything'. These are the modal LinkedIn message and they go directly into the ignore pile.
- ✗Long autobiographical messages (over 150 words). Recruiters skim and yours gets cut off.
- ✗Attaching your CV in the first message. Wait for the recruiter to ask.
- ✗Pretending to know the recruiter when you don't. They notice.
- ✗Asking "what roles do you have" before doing any research on what the recruiter actually covers.
Recruiter pro tip
The recruiter relationships that produce real value are 6-24 month investments. The candidates who land roles through recruiters typically built the relationship long before the actual role appeared. Don't expect immediate placement; expect to be on a recruiter's radar so when the right role comes up next quarter, you're a name they remember.