TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CONNECTION...

8 Comments

1. Christina ConnollyFebruary 17,2026 at 3:21PM UTC

   I found my current job because I responded to a recruiter outreach on LinkedIn about a specific role she was trying to fill. It was absolutely not what I was looking for, but I looked at the search firm's website and saw several roles that were precisely what I'd been seeking. I thanked her for thinking of me, and clarified what I was looking for, pointing to several roles posted on their site, and that I'd love to discuss those opportunities or similar. She wrote right back, and we moved like gangbusters from there. Met the team, they started presenting me with opportunities to consider, sending me out for interviews. I was in varying stages of the process for five roles, and landed the one I wanted most, EA for a start up private credit firm, with a salary 2x what I'd been making, and the firm's focus is growth and learning. Your advice rings true, I could have not responded at all or said thanks but no thanks. Look what happened because I decided to move boldly.

2. OLIVIA JOHNSONFebruary 19,2026 at 4:31PM UTC

   Great job!!! Congrats and thanks for the confirmation.

3. Christina ConnollyFebruary 19,2026 at 6:53PM UTC

   Absolutely. I felt like responding was a bold step, but it really wasn't, it was just smart.

4. AnonymousFebruary 22,2026 at 9:35PM UTC

   Congrats on your new role! Hope you are loving it!

5. AnonymousFebruary 17,2026 at 6:01PM UTC

   I do every time, whether or not I am interested in the role or if the role is feasible for me (quite often I am contacted for roles that would require relocation). What I dislike, and I know that I am by far not alone in this, is the recruiters who don't follow-up. If you reach out to me and then when I respond...radio silence. Or you phone screen me and then...radio silence. Or if I reach out to follow-up and you say "they were out doing XYZ and are now reviewing candidates" and then one week later I see someone on my LinkedIn announcing their new position. The position I had been reached out to for.

6. OLIVIA JOHNSONFebruary 19,2026 at 4:31PM UTC

   Hi there! Yes. This is what I call the Recruiter brain. It is unfortunate. It is uber unprofessional. And...there is no excuse for it. However, it occurs and tough to not let it happen. I have actually done it myself. Here's an example of what can occur. We get outreach from a client. We need to provide 10 candidates by the end of the week. We reach out to 30-100 depending on the market and what we find. The first 10 strong candidates reach back out quickly, with all documents required and responsive to get on a call fairly quickly. We put our package of candidates together and send them off. Now another client is on the docket and we move forward. Yet...now we are getting response back from the other 20 that did not respond quickly, don't send or have their documents ready etc. Now my example is just one client at a time. Imagine we are working 10, 20, 30 opportunities at the same time. Responding to those who are not viable or who's responses trickle in days and weeks later get less and less manageable. Again, not an excuse as I'm sure if we all could build the process better we would and several systems are doing a better job of managing this for internal recruiters but this is just a perspective.

7. AnonymousFebruary 17,2026 at 6:42PM UTC

   Also recommend to respond to in-house ones as well just in case you can make a connection for future consideration. Recruiters are facilitators and often if they move from place to place take those connections with them!

8. OLIVIA JOHNSONFebruary 19,2026 at 4:22PM UTC

   Hi there!

   Definitely agree with you on this! This does however call for a different approach.

   Typically outreach from an internal recruiter would be based on an application that has been submitted by a candidate. In this case, I would not recommend sharing other opportunities and stay steadfast on the opportunity that was applied for. Sharing other opportunities can be an option once you have rode it out to the end and the initial opportunity does not pan out then it would be ok to share and ask for advisement on what to do if there is an interest in another role.

   IF an internal recruiter is reaching out randomly, I would still recommend focusing in on the role they have reached out about. Hearing them out on the opportunity and moving forward based on their direction.

   IF making a casual connection with an internal recruiter through networking then you do want to stay high level on the area/field of expertise of interest and then following up with a written communication of any specific roles found that are actively open so that they have something tangible to work with.

   Hope this adds some clarity for the non third-party recruiter approach.