By Georgette Arato and Tracy Wishon
In a job market where networking is crucial, making a good first impression is critical. When reaching out to people you have never met, a well-crafted LinkedIn message can open doors to new opportunities, mentorships, and invaluable insights. ChatGPT can help you create impactful, personalized messages for this critical first touchpoint. This guide shows you how.
Define Your Objective
Be clear about your goals. Are you looking for a job, seeking advice, or wanting to network?
Identify Your Audience
The approach differs based on who you are reaching out to. For those you have never met:
- Hiring Managers: Highlight how you can solve their problems.
- Recruiters: Clearly state your job search status and skills.
- Industry Professionals: Find common interests or aspirations to focus on.
Query ChatGPT
Ask ChatGPT to help draft a message based on your objectives and audience. Be specific in your request. You may want to include:
- Details on whom you are reaching out to (e.g., name, title, company)
- Your professional background and relevant skills (e.g., resume)
- Any specific companies, roles, or industries you are targeting (e.g., industry, function)
- A brief note on any commonalities you share with the recipient (e.g., MIT, career interests)
- An explicit request or call to action (e.g., network, be considered for the role)
For example:
“You are an expert in career development, particularly in writing positioning statements, LinkedIn profiles, and outreach messages. I am a student at MIT in a mid-career MBA program. I am doing a networked job search and will be doing informational interviewing. Help me write a message to a project manager at Amazon. I am skilled in Agile frameworks and want advice on transitioning into tech.”
“I’m contacting an alum from my university who works in product management at Google, the job I want after graduation. I have a background in software engineering and recently took a course in product management. Can you help me craft a LinkedIn message to ask this alum for advice? The message must be limited to 300 characters.”
“Help me write a LinkedIn InMail message to a Hiring Manager in the software development industry. I have five years of experience in full-stack development, and I am interested in roles that involve machine learning. I know this person has an open position on their team; here is the job description and my resume…”
Refine the Output
Ensuring the message reads well, is error-free, and genuinely feels like “you.” Edit the generated message to match your tone or fit additional essential details. Review several iterations before settling on a version that effectively captures your intent, skills, and enthusiasm.
After you have a draft, you can even ask ChatGPT for feedback to fine-tune language further, improve sentence structure, and check for typos:
- “Can you review this LinkedIn message and suggest improvements?”
- “How can I make this message more concise?”
- “Can you help me make this sentence sound more professional?”
As you go along, you may want to tailor your messages further based on the responses you are receiving or changes in your situation.
Additionally, observe the response rate; if you do not get the desired response, consider refining your approach.
Continuous Learning
Keep a note of which messages get the best response rates. Use this data to refine your outreach strategy further and improve your messages over time. ChatGPT can help analyze this feedback and offer suggestions for improvement.
Remember, the key to a compelling LinkedIn intro message is authenticity. Ensure that the messages you send resonate with your brand and voice. ChatGPT is a tool to aid you, but always ensure the final note feels right to you.
By following these steps and utilizing ChatGPT as a tool, you can create LinkedIn InMail messages that are compelling and highly targeted to your audience.
