How to Comment on a Recruiter Job Post

How to Comment on a Recruiter Job Post

Social media has become an important place for finding jobs. Many times recruiters will create a job post on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook Groups, and Twitter. This leaves many people wondering if they should leave a comment on the post and if so, what they should write.

There’s a lot of information out there that tells you to leave these elaborate comments. That never sat well with me. As a former recruiter, I never really cared too much about this. So this week I reached out to some of my recruiting colleagues and asked them their thoughts as well.

In this article, I’ll share with you what recruiters think matters and don’t and how to make the most of your time while also making a good first impression.

Should You Comment on a Recruiter’s Job Post

You may be surprised, but the short answer is that it doesn’t really matter that much if there is a link included to apply for a job. Every single recruiter I spoke to said that leaving a comment doesn’t really sway their decision to read your resume or interview you.

However, a majority of them said they do read the comments and if someone had something insightful to say or ask, they often would visit their profile afterwards. Some of them even admitted that if the profile was in alignment with what they were searching for, they would sometimes go into their ATS and look for the person’s resume and application.

So, can it help to leave a comment? Yes, if you have a good reason and purpose for doing so besides just regurgitating your resume or saying “interested.”

Do you have to leave a comment to be considered for a job? Absolutely not. If your resume is good and you answered the application questions correctly, a recruiter will find you and call you.

In conclusion, it’s not necessary but it’s never a bad thing to stand out (in a good way) either.

How to Comment on a Recruiter’s Job Post

I’ve seen all kinds of wacky advice, shockingly it’s never written by a recruiter. I’ve seen things that suggest mentioning what you admire about the company and the job to going through the recruiter’s past 20 posts and liking them all. This isn’t the 1980’s and you’re not auditioning for the position of company stalker, so please don’t do this stuff.

Instead, here are the things recruiters would appreciate.

Say Thank You

If you’re going to post a comment, start by saying thank you. A simple “thanks for posting this” will do.

Give the Date You Applied

If you just applied, you don’t need to give a date. You can simply let them know you applied for the job. If you applied a while back, let them know the date so they can go look it up in their ATS if they want to.

Ask Questions

You don’t have to ask a question, but this is a good time to ask if you have one. If you do, make sure it’s not a question you could have answered by reading the job listing. Read the job description thoroughly first.

If you’ve read the job description and have a question, ask it in the comments before you apply. Sometimes you can get some valuable information that will help you navigate the application process.

You might say something like, “I’m considering applying. Do you know if I should mention X in my application? It looked like the role might touch on this, but I wasn’t 100% sure from the job description.”

Now that’s the kind of thoughtful question I would want to answer. Look at you reading the job listing and asking questions that might make my job easier to find the right talent too.

Most applicants don’t read the job descriptions (or they don’t know how to do it well), so by doing so and leveraging that you’ve done so in the comments is impressive.

If you need help or just want to analyze job descriptions faster, both Huntr and Teal are really good at this. You can identify key skills quickly with these apps.

Set an Alert

Once you identify someone who recruits for jobs that you are looking for, you should set an alert for that company or person. Some social media sites allow you to set an alert on their website. Sometimes you can go to the company’s career page and set an alert for new jobs that are posted.

Another helpful tool is called Web Alert. It can monitor any careers page and then send you a notification when there is an updated job.

Follow Up

There are so many variables that can impact how soon you might or might not hear back after applying for a job. Many people think recruiting is this linear function, but it’s more like zig-zagging most of the time.

If you haven’t heard back about your application within a week, I would follow up with the recruiter or job poster. You could leave them a fresh comment letting them know you applied but haven’t heard anything and ask if they would take a quick minute to review your resume, but there’s a good chance it will get lost in the comments at this point because we’re talking about a week old post or more.

The best way to follow up would be to try to call the company (my favorite method) or email the person who posted the job. If you can’t do that, you could also try to direct message them on the social platform that you’re using; however, sometimes recruiters get hundreds of messages on here and social media messages aren’t always the most organized. I’ll admit I’m guilty of losing some messages in my social media box.

You could send a message like this:

Hi Recruiter,

I applied for X role on X date. I haven’t received a reply. Could you take a quick look at my resume?

Thank you!

Short, simple, and direct usually works best.

Things to Avoid When Commenting on a Job Post

Saying Interested

Don’t comment with the words “interested” or “I’d like to apply.” This isn’t one of those giveaways where you drop the word in the comments and enter a drawing to win a job.

This does nothing for you and some recruiters even think that it looks lazy. That is not the first impression you’re going for.

And if you’d like to apply, just apply. Usually, there is a link to the job in the post. If there isn’t, send them a direct message asking how you should apply. Or you could comment, “What is the best way to apply for this job” in the comments. It’s possible they forgot to include a link to the job.

Writing An Admiration List

I know there are some articles out there that say you should start a comment by mentioning something you admire about the company to show you did your homework. Maybe this might play well with a small company CEO, but for most recruiters, it’s pointless.

What they do care about is that you read the job description, show your qualifications on your resume, and apply for the job so they can move you forward in the process. They don’t care about blandishments.

This isn’t an episode of Mad Men staged in the 1960’s.

Recruiters can smell BS a mile away and it doesn’t do you any favors. Keep the “I’ve been following your company’s innovative work” comments to yourself. This may have worked 10 years ago, but it’s no longer the best approach.

Regurgitating Your Resume and Claiming to Be Perfect

There is no need to drop a comment that says how you have 5 years of experience in this, achieving this and that, and that you’re confident you would be a perfect fit. In fact, writing that you are confident that you can be an asset or that you’re the perfect fit is pretty arrogant if you think about it.

How are you so confident? Have you met with them? Did they tell you all these things? Don’t try to BS your way into sounding good. It’s just not worth it and it’s not a good look.

Engaging With Other Posts

This is kind of an in-between, a little can’t hurt, but too much can. Some advice tells you to go and engage with the recruiter’s other posts. While yes, we appreciate your engagement and helping us get the word out about our jobs to other people, doing so probably isn’t going to help your candidacy.

There are so many more impactful things you could be spending your time on that will move the needle forward for your job search. This is a low-value, low-return on investment activity in my view.

Also, some people have gone through my posts and liked the past 20 all at once and sometimes that just feels creepy. Maybe it’s just me and others won’t mind, but let’s be real. You’re clearly not going through and liking all my content because you actually like all of my content (most likely). I mean heck, some days I don’t even know if I like all my content.

Share the Job Posting

Some “experts” say to share the job post with your network. Yes, that is nice of you to do. Yes, I would appreciate it. But no, it’s not going to make a difference whether I call you for an interview or not. Share if you want, but don’t think it will add street cred to your application.

Tips For Commenting on a Recruiter Job Post

Do It Fast

If you’re going to comment, do so as soon as possible. This is when the poster is likely the most engaged with the job.

Stay Professional

Always maintain a professional tone, and polite language and avoid slang and typos.

Keep it Short

There is no need to write a mini-novel in your comment. Be clear about your interest and status. “Thanks for posting this. I just applied. I look forward to possibly speaking with you.” That’s a great comment.

Update Your Profile

Depending on what social media site you’re using, make sure your profile is up to date, mentions that you’re searching for the job you want, and doesn’t have anything inappropriate on it.

Follow Instructions

If the post has a link for a job and the poster clearly mentions you should apply if interested, do that. Don’t try to go around the system. It doesn’t work. Follow whatever instructions are given. If it’s a small company and they ask you to message them directly, do that.

Realize Their Timeline May Not Align With Yours

Chances are if you’re looking for a job, you would like the process to go super fast. But hiring doesn’t happen on your timeline. There are many moving parts that have to be aligned to get a new hire into the seat. Don’t be overly aggressive or take it personally if things are taking longer than you would like.

Write Like You Talk

Okay, I already said to keep it professional, but that doesn’t mean short-circuit and write like a weirdo either. A lot of people do this for some reason. Write the same way you would speak to someone if they were face-to-face with you.

That means drop the “I hope this finds you well” stuff. Wouldn’t that be weird if you bumped into someone on the street and said, “Oh, I hope I find you well today.” This isn’t a dystopian robot movie.

Examples of Comments on Recruiter Job Posts

Here are some great comments I’ve seen on job posts. Notice how simple they are. This isn’t the rocket science many people make it out to be.

Comment Example 1

“Thank you for posting this. I saw that you need someone to do X on the job listing. Are you also looking for people with X skill or is that not as important for this role?”

Comment Example 2

“Thanks for the post! Applied. Have a great day.”

Comment Example 3

“Thanks for posting! I applied back on 10/8 and I’d love the chance to speak with you and the hiring team.”

Comment Example 4

“Thank you for posting this. I applied back on 10/8. If you have a chance, could you take a look at my application?”

Comment Example 5

“I’m applying. This sounds like a cool place to be part of. I wanted to confirm the X role is posted as fully remote. Is it ok if candidates don’t live in California? Asking because the website says remote/hybrid but the Facebook post says hybrid only. Thanks!”

Several of these example comments are from Matthew McGee who is a Customer Success Manager. If you want to learn how to comment on job posts like a pro, I would follow Matthew and see how he does it.

Cole Sperry has been a recruiter and resume writer since 2015, working with tens of thousands of job seekers, and hundreds of employers. Today Cole runs a boutique advisory firm consulting with dozens of recruiting firms and is the Managing Editor at OptimCareers.com.


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