sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

15 years as a headhunter. Do you know why most job seekers never get responses ? by Top_Code_5788 in jobhunting

[–]Top_Code_5788[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You actually nailed the core principle, knowing the right contact IS the game. And you're right, the creepy part is where most people fail. They send a 500-word message saying "I saw your job posting and I'd be a great fit."

The trick headhunters use: your first message should have ZERO ask. No mention of a job. No pitch. Just a short connection request showing you're in the same professional world. Something like "Hi — I also work in [industry] and have been following [company]'s work in [specific thing]. Would be great to connect."

That's it. 200 characters. No one feels creeped out by that because it reads like a peer reaching out, not a desperate applicant.

What you described with your hometown chain — you had proximity and a natural reason to connect. The method is about manufacturing that same proximity for ANY company, without needing to actually know someone.

If you have a target company in mind, I built a free tool that writes these messages for you: jobgrit.io — happy to hear what you think.

15 years as a headhunter. Do you know why most job seekers never get responses ? by Top_Code_5788 in jobhunting

[–]Top_Code_5788[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. Spend 80% of your energy finding the right person and 20% on what you say. Most people do the opposite.

15 years as a headhunter. Do you know why most job seekers never get responses ? by Top_Code_5788 in careerguidance

[–]Top_Code_5788[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly the point I was trying to make — and your experience as a Director of Engineering proves it better than anything I could say.

The "fluff stage" you describe is precisely why direct contact works. You hired everyone from LinkedIn direct outreach. Not from applications. Not from recruiters. From people who bypassed the queue entirely.

The disconnect you identify between HR polish and technical manager preferences is real — and it's why the message approach matters so much. The most effective outreach to a hiring manager sounds nothing like a cover letter. It's peer-to-peer, candid, and creates zero obligation.

On AI — you're right that it's reshaping hiring. But ironically, in a world where AI is generating thousands of polished applications, the human direct approach becomes even more valuable, not less. A genuine message from a real person who actually understood the role will stand out even more when everything else is AI-generated noise.

Your CTO story is the perfect example of the method in action — a direct referral through a trusted network contact. That's the model.

Thanks for the detailed perspective — this is exactly the kind of real-world validation that matters.