Building your Network as a Candidate

I completely understand

If you’re thinking,

Networking?

How hard can it be?

I do that all the time

And that’s perfectly fair

If that’s what you’re thinking,

You’re more than welcome to explore the other blog posts

I’ve written about the app

But if you’re even a bit curious,

Keep reading

And see if you can pick up a few useful tips

I say that

Because networking in the app

Is a bit different

Here’s how it works:

Create your profile and complete as many preferences as possible

Read here to find out why it’s a good idea to make selections in every category

You’ll then see the companies that match your preferences

And all you have to do is swipe on the ones you find interesting

The companies you match with will appear on your profile

Don’t forget to write a profile description that tells companies who you are and what you’re like as a person

Find inspiration for writing a catchy profile description here

Now here’s something that’s really important:

Patience is a virtue

Good things come to those who wait

Your match may not have time to respond right away

You probably know the feeling from Tinder

Sometimes it takes a while

Before your match replies

And the company may simply not be looking for someone with your profile

Right at this moment

Once the company has opened the communication channel

You can start the conversation

And that’s where your networking skills come into play

Remember:

You could be chatting with your future manager

Be professional

And don’t ask questions you could easily find the answers to elsewhere

Imagine you’re meeting this person face-to-face

At a networking event

You’d want to come across as professional

Ask thoughtful questions

And show genuine interest

The same principles apply here

The company should quickly understand:

What’s in it for us?

After all,

How often do you get a direct line

To a potential future manager

Before you’ve even been hired?

So put yourself out there

And make yourself interesting

Ideally, the hiring manager shouldn’t remove you

Before you’ve even had the chance to start building a relationship

Once the conversation is open,

You can begin to find out

Whether you’re a good match

And whether your expectations align

If they do,

An interview may not be far away

The company may not need someone like you

Right now

But that’s one of the great things about the app

You can simply stay connected

Until the opportunity arises

Or until one of you decides to remove the other

You can keep the conversation alive

By sending a message every now and then

(just make sure it’s relevant)

And continue showing your interest

Until the right opportunity comes along

If you decide to remove a company from your list,

Simply swipe left on the company in your Messages list

And tap Remove

Before you do,

Send the manager a message

So he understands

Why you’ve decided to end the match

We’ve prepared a few standard messages

Covering common reasons for removing a match

However,

I recommend writing a personal message instead

It leaves the hiring manager

With a positive impression of you

And avoids burning bridges

That’s almost never a good idea

After all,

This is all about building your personal brand

In the best possible way

Finally,

Try to present yourself

As honest and accurate as possible

That’s where the magic happens

That’s when the hiring manager can see

Whether you’d be a good fit

For their organization

If you’re a hiring manager, read here to learn how to build your professional network in the app

You may also find it useful to read our communication guidelines for using the app

Good luck finding your next job with Litou!