Five reasons recruiters don't read your

job application email.

Jul 11, 2014
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Take away from this Blog:

This blog helps you to understand how to write professional job application
e-mail which helps you to get many calls from recruiters. I have covered 5
reasons, why recruiters don't read your e-mail and how to get attention of
recruiters to read your Job application e-mail.

Do you want to know the reasons? Then read below,

As I am a recruiter, I receive lot of e-mails every day for different positions
that I am hiring. Few e-mails have got my attention and few e-mails go unread. If yours is one among them you will never hear back from me about the
opening.

Why don't I read your E-mail?

Reason 1: Your subject line lacks clarity
Subject is very important to get the attention of the recruiter. See few bad
examples of subject line in Job application e-mail.
Bad Example 1: Subject Line: Resume
If above example is your subject line then, ask the below questions to
yourself before sending the email.
What resume is mine and why am I sending this to this recruiter?
If your subject line dont have answer for your above question, then your
subject will be wrong.
Correction:
I will never get an attention to read it because I have 1000s of e-mail like
yours for just 1 or 2 positions. I need to find the talent as soon as possible.
So the e-mail subject that attracts me would be which conveys a direct
message to me and which is relevant to me. When I say direct message it
should answer the above question.
Bad Example 2: Subject Line: Ramesh Resume
I have seen many emails coming to me stating their name in subject line. Do
you think your name matters to me than your skills?
I dont even know who you are then how do you expect me to open your
email?
Tell the recruiter what does he want (Which you have) and not what do you
want to show. In marketing, if you want to sell a product to a wrong
customer who dont even need that then it almost impossible but if you want
to sell a product who needs it then it very easy. Apply the same logic here.
Bad Example 3: No Subject
The silly mistake that you can make on your job application email is sending
an email without any subject. I have seen many emails coming without any
subject. That means you never care whether the recruiter opens your
resume. If you are very careless about that then how do you expect me to
open your resume and read it?
To me, an email without subject means the sender has no objective and the
sender is not expecting any result out of it.

Finally lets see how we can write a subject that grabs the attention of a
recruiter
See the example below,
Application for Java Developer requirement (Job Code: 34526) Naukri/Dice
Reference
The above subject line answers the below questions,
Why do you send your resume to me?
For Which job you are applying?
Where did you find my job posting?
From a Recruiter point, The above Subject gives me the information that I
want. It says this candidate is looking out for a Job and he is a Java
Developer and he is willing to apply for the posting that I made in Job boards.
Reason 2: Salutation
Most E-mails come with a salutation like this Dear Sir/Madam though you
might know the recruiter name.
When you address sir or madam, most of time I am not sure whom you are
addressing to whether it is me or someone else. So I am again not interested
since it is not addressed to me. I dont feel it is personalized. It is very
generic which least appeal to any recruiter.
Imagine you want to buy some product and there are two options. One is
very generic which is targeted to everyone and other is personalized to your
need. Which one you will go ahead with? Most cases it is second option. So
the same concept applies in above condition.
So what can be best possible options to give the right salutation?
When you are applying for jobs you will send to recruiters official email id,
right? Yes. So you can see their name in email id itself with the name mostly
you can decide whether it is sir or madam but you have a risk there. For
example, lets take my case, my name is Maria Leslie and my email id has
Maria in it so you decide it should be madam but unfortunately it is sir.

It will be embarrassing for the recruiter if you address him as madam instead
of sir and vice versa. So whats the best solution?
When you can find the name just use the name as salutation you can use
either as Maria, or Dear Maria,
Reason 3: Unclear Message body
Most job seekers write just as PFA or please find my resume attached
If this is the message, then my question is why should I see your resume?
You need to write a small introduction about yourself which should not be
more than 2 lines. And then you should say why I should think that you will
be fit for the position and how you can help the organization by being in this
position.
Finally Call for action
Every email should end with a call for action, whats next? So you can write
as below,
For further discussion please reach me out on this no +91-**********
If you follow the above method then your message body has clear structure
as below,
Introduction (Who you are and why you are sending this email?).
Core Message (What are your skills and how it can help me?).
Closing (Call of action and what do you expect me to do next?).
Reason 4: Spelling Mistakes and short forms

Make sure before you hit on send button verify twice and do a spell check.
Simple spelling mistakes completely turn the recruiter off.
You are sending a professional email you cannot afford to use any short
forms. In most cases, short forms leads to mis-communication. So never use
PFA or FYI or bcoz etc.
Reason 5: Sending a Generic email
I have received few emails where my email id is in BCC that means the same
email is sent to many other recruiters like me and I never care to read those
emails. If you are doing this then that means you dont even take time and
care to send an email to your prospective employer.
I have also received emails where they are too many email ids in the TO
section.
Two more areas where you need to take care
Email Signature:
Make your signature professional. Make sure your signature have your name,
phone number and email ID.
Missing Attachment
Job Seekers tend to forgot attaching their resume. Recruiter might not have
time to send you another email asking for your resume. If in case you are
into a niche skill then he does otherwise no. So be careful in this. You can
attach your resume before writing the email. So that you never miss it.
Logic:
If you are into niche skills the recruiter will try multiple times to reach you
and get you in and but if you are into vanilla skill then he has many other
choices available in the market.
More Niche skill then more number of calls from same Recruiter.

Not a Niche Skill then less number of calls from same recruiter.
Please Note: In this article, I have used I in many sentences. That refers to
Recruiters and not just me.
**************
Credits : Proof Read by R.M Vignesh. (This is an updated copy)
Picture: Google

Please Change Your LinkedIn

Headline Now.. Here's Why and How
Jun 11, 2014
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As an Executive Recruiter, I generally scroll through hundreds of LinkedIn

headlines and profiles every day. My estimate is that more than 95% of
LinkedIn members just use their job title and company as their LinkedIn
headline. C'mon, you can do better than that!

If your LinkedIn headline is like most, its actually making you look much less
impressive than you really are. Here are the 4 deadliest LinkedIn headline
errors I see over and over:
1.

Your LinkedIn headline is cheesy. Phrases like Social Media Superstar

or Strategic Visionary or "Magical Marketer" mean absolutely nothing
and are not impressive or intriguing.
2. Your LinkedIn headline is confusing. If someone is confused about what
you do, you will not be asked for clarification. Whether you are an
entrepreneur, a job-seeker, or a happily employed professional, be clear
in explaining how you make other people/organizations better. Only
include your exact job title if people will understand what it means.
Many of the people at my recruiting firm use their real job titles (i.e.
"Associate Principal" or "Engagement Manager"). Why don't they just
refer to themselves as an "Executive Recruiter?" That's what they are.
Unless you work for a consulting firm, do you have any idea what an
"Engagement Manager" does? If you have more than one role or job, try
to create a central theme (if it makes sense) or focus on the one
role/expertise that you want to be known for. Avoid positioning yourself
as a jack of all trades or you will look like a master of none.
3. Your LinkedIn headline is boring. Show us why you are special and
unique. Provide indisputable evidence for your value and credibility by
highlighting an impressive achievement, honor, award, industry
recognition, etc. Only include the name of your employer in your
LinkedIn headline if you work for a very well-known, well-respected
brand, only include your college's name in your LinkedIn headline if you
attend(ed) a very well-respected school, and only include letters after
your name if they are affiliated with a very well-respected degree or
certification.
4. Your LinkedIn headline is desperate. If you are out of work or looking
for something new, dont say that you are unemployed or seeking new
opportunities. No matter why you are looking for something new, this
looks desperate and undermines your value. Highlight your past
achievements and future value instead. You should not be sitting back

waiting for recruiters or hiring managers to find you anyway. You should
be proactively seeking opportunities on your own.
Now that we have discussed what NOT to do, here is "The Ultimate LinkedIn
Headline Formula" and an easy 4-step process (what-who-how-proof) that
you can follow to create a much more powerful, attention-grabbing LinkedIn
headline:

Step
Step
Step
Step

1:
2:
3:
4:

Say WHAT you are.

Say WHO you help.
Say HOW you make their life/work better.
Give PROOF that you are credible.

Here are some examples:

Executive Recruiter/Speaker/Author/who helps you create a better

career. Featured on Fox/CBS/CNN (Note: this was my LinkedIn headline
when this article was published.)

Fundraising consultant who helps major non-profits raise more money.

Clients include the Red Cross and YMCA.

Personal Trainer who helps high school athletes get stronger and faster.
Certified by the American Council on Exercise.

With each of these headlines, you immediately know what the person does,
who they help, how they help them, and why they are credible. (Note: You
can use the 4-step formula whether you are happily employed or looking for
a new role.)
Your LinkedIn headline is valuable real estate and may be the only part of
your profile that a recruiter or hiring manager actually looks at. Don't do
what everyone else does and just use your title/employer for your LinkedIn
headline. BORING. Use your LinkedIn headline to show undeniable proof that
you are credible and unique in a good way.
For students and recent grads with limited experience: You can fill in the
"proof" part of "The Ultimate LinkedIn Headline" formula by highlighting a
strong GPA, leadership positions, technical skills, etc.

P.S. Want to give it a try? Use "The Ultimate LinkedIn Headline

Formula" and post your new LinkedIn headline below (before this
Friday at 5 pm eastern time) and I'll tell you what I think ...Yes, post
your LinkedIn headline below and I'll comment this weekend with
feedback. Please do not send emails or messages or ask me to
review your profile :-)
------------------------Author Bio: Pete Leibman is the Author of I Got My Dream Job and So Can
You and the Creator of Dream Job TV, the online job search crash course for
students and recent grads. His work has been featured on Fox News, CBS
Radio, and CNNMoney.com. Click the "Follow" button (above or below)
to receive more articles on how to create your ideal career at any
age.

The 31 Best LinkedIn Profile Tips for

Job Seekers
By The Daily Muse Editor, March 11, 2014

When youre not looking for a job, it can be easy to ignore your LinkedIn profile. Sure,
you add people you meet at networking events as contacts and accept requests as they
come in, but everything else? Eh, youll get to it when you need to.
While we definitely dont recommend this approach (hey, the recruiter from your dream
company finding you and offering you a job? It could happen), we get that there are
times you need a total LinkedIn profile overhaul. And for those times? Weve got you
covered!

Here, weve compiled everything you need to know about tricking out your LinkedIn
profilefrom crafting a stunning summary to selling your accomplishments, projects,
and skillsin one place. Read on for expert-backed ways to make your profile seriously
shineand start getting noticed by recruiters.

1. Put in the Time to Make it Awesome

Simply put, the more complete your profile, the better the odds that recruiters will find
you in the first place. So, completeness is important from that standpoint. Its also
important after a recruiter has found you and decided to click on your profile: He or she
wants to know what your skills are, where youve worked, and what people think of you.
So, dont get lazyfill out every single section of your profile. The good news? LinkedIn
will actually measure the completeness of your profile as you work and offer
suggestions on how to make it stronger.

2. Get a Custom URL

Its much easier to publicize your profile with a customized URL (ideally
linkedin.com/yourname), rather than the clunky combination of numbers that LinkedIn
automatically assigns when you sign up. How to get one? On the Edit Profile screen, at
the bottom of the gray window that shows your basic information, youll see a Public
Profile URL. Click Edit next to the URL, and specify what youd like your address to be.
When youre finished, click Set Custom URL.

3. Choose a Great Photo

Choose a clear, friendly, and appropriately professional image, and pop that baby up
there. Not sure what appropriately professional means? Take a look around at what
the people in your target company, industry sector, or business level are wearing. Match
that. (Pro tip: If you can show yourself in action, do it, says a blogger who
experimented with multiple LinkedIn photos to see which garnered the most attention. A

photo can go a long way to convey passion, energy, charisma, empathy, and other soft
skills that are hard to write about.

4. Write a Headline That Rocks

Your headline doesnt have to be your job title and companyin fact, especially if youre
looking for jobs, it shouldnt be. Instead, use that space to succinctly showcase your
specialty, value proposition, or your so what? The more specific you can be about what
sets you apart from the competition, the better.
Read More: Does Your LinkedIn Headline Suck?

5. Use Your Target Job Descriptions to Your Advantage

Take a look at the job descriptions of the positions youre after, and dump them into a
word cloud tool like Wordle. See those words that stand out? Theyre likely what
recruiters are searching for when theyre looking for people like you. Make sure those
words and phrases are sprinkled throughout your summary and experience.

6. Dont Waste the Summary Space

Ideally, your summary should be around 35 short paragraphs long, preferably with a
bulleted section in the middle. It should walk the reader through your work passions, key
skills, unique qualifications, and a list of the various industries youve had exposure to
over the years. Career Horizons

7. Use Numbers Right Up Front

Much like the rest of your resume, youll want to highlight past results in your summary.
When possible, include numbers and case studies that prove success. Social media

consultant and speaker Wayne Breitbarth, for example, quickly establishes credibility
with his audience by stating in his summarys second sentence: I have helped more
than 40,000 businesspeoplefrom entry level to CEOunderstand how to effectively
use LinkedIn. Never underestimate the power of a few key stats to impress a
reader. American Express OPEN Forum

8. Be Warm and Welcoming

The summary section is your primo opportunity to showcase the good stuff about you,
with your target audience in mind. Give em a little chance to get to know you. So what
do you think the first impression is going to be if you craft your summary like some long,
pompous speech? Or worse, craft it in the third person? Theyre going to think youre
pretentious. And its going to be hard for that reviewer to get a feel for your personality
and style. Be you here. Keep the brand message in line with all of your other
professional marketing materials, but realize that LinkedIn is a platform designed for
interaction. JobJenny

9. Avoid Buzzwords Like the Plague

What do the words responsible, creative, effective, analytical, strategic, patient, expert,
organizational, driven, and innovative have in common? Theyre the most overused
buzzwords on all of LinkedIn. Come onwe know you can be more creative!

10. Treat Your Profile Like Your Resume

Your resume isnt just a list of job duties (or, at least, it shouldnt be)its a place to
highlight your best accomplishments. Same goes for your LinkedIn profile: Make sure
your experience section is fleshed out with bullet points that describe what you did, how
well you did it, and who it impacted.
Read More: How to Turn Your Duties Into Accomplishments

11. But Use the First Person

You shouldnt use the first person on your resume, but its actually fine to do so on
LinkedIn (think Im a passionate development officer who raised $400,000 for cancer
charities last year, not (Jackie Stevens is a passionate development officer...).

12. Get Personal

Your profile is not a resume or CV. Write as if you are having a conversation with
someone. Inject your personality. Let people know your values and passions. In your
summary, discuss what you do outside of work. You want people to want to know
you. Forbes

13. Show Your Achievements

Recruiters spend countless hours scouring LinkedIn in search of the high performers.
And when they find them, they contact said high performers. Knowing this, youll serve
yourself well to market yourself as a high performer in your summary and experience
section (think action words, accomplishments, talking about times youve been
promoted or hand-picked for projects).

14. Include a Current Job Entry, Even When Unemployed

If you've only listed the past positions youve held in the experience section but show
nothing current, youll probably get missed in most searches. Why? Because most
recruiting professionals exclusively use the current title box to search for candidates;
otherwise theyd have to sort through thousands of candidates who held a certain role
(for example, graphic designer) as far back as 20 or more years ago. The simple
workaround, if youre unemployed, is to create a dummy job listing in the current section
that includes the job title(s) you're targetingFull-Time Student/Financial Analyst in

Trainingfollowed by a phrase like In Transition or Seeking New Opportunity in the

Company Name box."University of Washington

15. Add Multimedia to Your Summary

A picture truly is worth a 1,000 words, especially when it comes to showcasing your
work. LinkedIn lets you add photos, videos, and slideshow presentations to your profile
summary. So instead of just talking about your work, you can show examples. Or show
yourself in action. Or share a presentation. Click Edit profile, scroll down to your
summary, then click on the box symbol, then add file.Business Insider

16. And Your Work Experiences

You can do the same thing for each of your work experiences. So, use this to your
advantage: Add your company websites, projects youve worked on, articles youve
drafted, or anything else that can provide a more multimedia look at your work.

17. Add Projects, Volunteer Experiences, or Languages

Do you speak Mandarin? Have a project management certification? Volunteer for Dress
for Success every weekend? Adding these additional profile features (listed on the left
when youre editing your profile) is a great way to showcase your unique skills and
experiences and stand out from the crowd.

18. Request One LinkedIn Recommendation a Month

When someone says, You did a great job on that project! ask him or her to take a
snapshot of that success by writing a recommendation on LinkedIn. And dont be afraid
to specify what youd like the recommender to focus on. Getting generic
recommendations that say, Lea was great to work with arent very helpfulbut

something specific, like Leas contributions on the project enabled us to increase

forecasted savings by 5% over our original plan will really showcase your strengths.

19. But Make Them Strategic

Make a strategic plan for your recommendations, says Nicole Williams, LinkedIns
career expert. Approach different people and suggest particular skills or experiences
you would like them to highlight.

20. Dont Be Afraid to Cut a Recommendation

Ever get a recommendation you didnt ask for? Or one that isnt something youd want
to showcase on your LinkedIn profile? If you get a recommendation thats poorly written
or is unsolicited and dont feel comfortable reaching out to the writer and asking for
some revisions, no biggie. You can easily hide the recommendation instead. Select
Profile > Edit Profile and go to the position with which the recommendation is
associated. Click Manage. Uncheck the box next to the recommendation that you want
to hide, and click Save Changes.
12Most

21. Manage Your Endorsements

Endorsements can be a great way to show off your skillsas long as your profile isnt
overloaded with too many to really send the right message. The secret to making them
work for you is keeping your skills updated: As you transition between careers, develop
new skills, or take on new responsibilities, drop outdated skills from your profile and add
the ones you really want to be known for. Now, when connections land on your page,
theyll only see the most relevant skills.

22. Update Your Status

Just like on Facebook, you can update your LinkedIn status as often as you wish. So,
do! Update it professionally and strategically (share the article you just wrote, not what
you ate for lunch today), ideally once a week. Your entire network will see your updates,
both in their news feeds and in the weekly LinkedIn network updates emails they
receive.

23. Become an Author

LinkedIns newest feature? Allowing all users to write and publish their work on the
platform. Share your perspective about whats going on in your field, weigh in on a
recent industry development, or show off your skills as a writer. Its a great way to get
noticed.
Read More: LinkedIn Has Added a Publishing Platform: Heres Why That Matters

24. Or Add Your Blog

If you have a WordPress blog, we highly recommend feeding your blog into your
LinkedIn profile (unless, of course, the content isnt appropriate for a LinkedIn page.) To
enable this setting, Select More in the main nav bar and Select Applications. From
there, choose the WordPress application and enter the link to your feed. The blog will
then appear in your profile and will update each time a new post is added. 12Most

25. Be a Groupie
LinkedIn Groups are an incredible resourceand they can do wonders for your job
search. By joining groups relevant to your profession or industry, youll show that youre
engaged in your field. But more importantly, youll instantly be connected to people and
part of relevant discussions in your fieldkind of like an ongoing, online networking
event.

Read More: 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn Groups

26. Have at Least 50 Connections

Having 50 or fewer connections on LinkedIn tells recruiters one of three things: 1) You
are a recluse who knows very few people, 2) Youre paranoid about connecting with
others, or 3) Technology and social media are scary to you. None of these are good.
Were certainly not suggesting you need to be one of those weirdos who wears your
abnormally large number of connections like a badge of honor, but you really should
have at least 50-100 people with whom youre connected as a starting point.

27. But Dont Add People You Dont Know

If enough people reject your request and say they don't know you, LinkedIn can shut
down your account. True story.

28. Dont Go Overboard

With all the bells and whistles LinkedIn has to offer, and without being limited by the
8.5x11" confines of your resume, it can be tempting to, well, go nuts. And while details
are good, theres certainly a thing as too much. Step back, take a look at your profile,
and see how it looks to an outside person. Is it enticingor overwhelming? Edit
accordingly.

29. Keep Your Job Search Under Wraps

Many people don't realize that LinkedIn does have privacy settingsfor a reason.
When you're out looking for a new job, and are actively engaged in your current job, you
want to be discreet, Williams explains. A telltale sign to an employer that youre leaving
is that you overhaul your profile, connect with recruiters, and have an influx of new

people. You can tailor your settings so that your boss doesnt see that youre looking for
opportunities. The privacy settings are easy to find: Just sign in, and then select
settings from the drop-down menu, where your name appears in the upper right-hand
corner. LearnVest

30. Make Sure People Can Find You

Dont forget to add your email address (or blog, or Twitter handle, or anywhere else
youd like to be found) to the contact information section of your resume. Youd be
surprised how many people leave this off!

31. Be Excited
At the end of the day, the most exciting people to hire are the people who are the most
excited about what they do. So, make sure your LinkedIn profile shows your enthusiasm.
Join and participate in groups related to your field of expertise. Use your status line to
announce stuff youre doing related to your field. Share interesting articles or news.
Connect with the leaders in your industry. Fly your cheerleader flag.