The Job Poster Looked at Your Profile

Should you send a message?

We get a little flutter when we see a LinkedIn notification that someone has looked at our profile, and they represent a company to which we have recently applied. A moment of excitement is then quickly followed by a moment of, “am I supposed to do something now?” What we want to balance is demonstrating continued interest and eagerness without annoying them or coming across too strong.

The best possible scenario is that you know someone within the company whom you can ask for advice on the style and preferences of that individual. You may be that fortunate at times, and perhaps you have been actively networking within the company. More likely than not, you will not have that intel, and deciding to act or not is time sensitive. 

Doing nothing likely will not take you out of contention (in most occupations.) For sales or business development roles, it could be a test to see if you are an action taker. If you are not sure if it is appropriate and you do not have an inside track to learn about the individuals who viewed your profile, err on the side of taking action. Here are three specific steps to take: 

• Follow the company on LinkedIn. Recruiters often look to see if applicants are following them, demonstrating a genuine interest in their company. In a world where candidates blindly apply to dozens of jobs each day, stand out for intentionality and focused efforts. There is no prize for who applies to the most jobs.
• Look at the profile of the individual who viewed yours. Think of this as “waving back” if you saw someone from a distance but were not close enough to strike up a conversation. Sending them a connection request right now may be one step too far at this stage. Come back to that in a couple of weeks.
• Send a message that is brief and does not ask them a question or require a response. If they respond anyway, that is an excellent sign that you are a strong candidate or that the individual is thoughtful and considerate, both helpful details for you to know. Your message should be 2-3 sentences covering three areas: 1) acknowledgment and thank you, 2) reaffirm interest, 3) highlight a value you would bring to them.

 Sample Script #1: Thank you for viewing my profile. I remain interested in the role of Product Manager to leverage my ability to translate technical information between internal and external customers.Sincerely, Name

Sample Script #2: I appreciate your taking the time to review my LinkedIn profile. I am honored to be considered for the position of Customer Service Representative. My past achievements include a 98% customer retention rate, and I would welcome the opportunity to tell you more about that.Best Regards, Name

Bonus tip: Write your message in Word and run Editor and Grammarly first. Then, copy and paste it into LinkedIn. You have gotten to one hurdle in the process. Do not let a spelling error or dangling participle stand between you and an interview! Have other questions like this? 

Join the Deep End Job Search Facebook group where members can submit questions any time.