How To Respond To A Recruiter Email (With Examples)

You have just received an email from a recruiter following up with you. Or perhaps you have been contacted by a recruiter about a job that you didn’t even apply for, which happens most often on job sites like LinkedIn. How do you respond to a a recruiter email?

Keep these tips in mind when you respond to a hiring manager or a recruiter:

• Be polite, professional, and answer their questions.

• Use the email response to plan a time to speak about the opportunity versus brain-dumping information about yourself on the recruiter, unless they are asking for that information.

• If you are getting generalized recruiter emails to jobs you didn’t apply to, check and make sure they aren’t spam before applying.

Now that you know what to think about as you read the rest of this article, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of how to respond to a recruiter’s email if you’re interested in the position.

Example Answers to the Top Questions a Recruiter Might Ask You in an Email

A recruiter will generally ask you two different types of questions: logistical questions to plan out a meeting to go over your application or informational questions to add certain details to your resume. Sometimes, questions may be industry-specific, like a practice test or proficiency test on skills related to the job position.

Here are a few common questions recruiters will ask via email and sample answers of how to respond:

1. “Are there any details you’d like to add to your application?”
   Thank you for contacting me about my application. I have attached examples of my previous work related to (industry or job title), as well as links to (websites, LinkedIn, etc) for you. If you have any questions or would like to set up a time to chat, please let me know.

2. “Could you send another copy of your resume?”
   Thank you for contacting me about my application. I have included a copy of my resume for you. Please let me know if you need anything else for my application to the (job title) position. I look forward to hearing more from you about this opportunity soon.

3. “When are you available to interview?”
   Thank you for reaching out to me about my application to (job title/ company). I am excited to speak more with you about this opportunity. I am available (dates and times). Let me know your meeting preference.

4. “Would you be available for a second interview soon?”
   I greatly appreciate speaking with you last (first interview time) and would love to discuss this opportunity further with you soon. I am available (dates and times). Let me know what time works best for you.

5. “Do you have time to answer a few quick questions over the phone?”
   Thank you for reaching out to me about my application to (job title/ company). I would love to speak with you more about my application and answer any questions you might have. I am available (dates and times). Let me know what works best for you.

6. “When would you be available to take a proficiency test?”
   Thank you for contacting me about my application to (job title/ company). I would be happy to complete any proficiency tests needed. I am available (dates and times). Please let me know if my availability works for testing.

Tips on Responding to Recruiter Emails

Finding a job isn’t easy. Whether you’re scouring online job boards or sending your resume and cover letter around locally, it’s hard to stand out.

Remember that each recruiter email is a job opportunity, hopefully for a new job that suits your qualifications better than your current one. Remember these tips when you’re on the job-hunt and fielding recruiter emails.

1. Make your first impression count. Your first impression may have been the resume and cover letter you submitted to get the recruiter interested in you, but this response is your first chance to set up a positive interaction with an interviewer.

   They’ll get to know you better when you’re interviewing, but this email response is your first communication with the company.

2. Respond quickly. In the interest of first impressions, it’s good to respond quickly to all recruiter emails (the serious ones, anyway). You’ll seem enthusiastic about the opportunity, not desperate.

3. Working directly with a recruiter is an advantage. When finding a job, the hard part is getting in contact with the right people. Once you have this line of communication open, it’s your chance to stand out as a candidate. Learning how to communicate with recruiters and hiring managers effectively will open the door to more job offers.

4. Avoid slang, emojis, and errors. Keep your email professional. Avoid slang terms and offputting greetings like “hey.” Also, proofread your email before responding to ensure there are no typos or errors.

How To Respond To Generalized Recruiter Messages

You’ve signed up for newsletters and email lists for job sites and suddenly you are receiving recruiter messages that look like they’ve been sent out to a thousand candidates. You are probably asking yourself, “Are these real job opportunities? And if so, are they worth pursuing?”

Sometimes these types of emails can be spam, but a quick Google search or LinkedIn search will give you a lot of answers about the legitimacy of the company that’s contacting you. If the company seems real and has some reviews on Zippia or another company review site, then you can probably assume that the job position is real.

Sometimes the recruiter isn’t for a specific company, but a few companies. Look up the recruiter on LinkedIn first to see if they have a profile. You can also ask follow-up questions about them if you decide to respond.

The next step is how to respond.

How to Respond to Recruiter Emails After Application Submission

In this scenario, you’ve applied for a specific job and now you’ve been contacted about your application to begin the next steps. It might seem scary, but it’s great news. Every time you have a chance to speak more with a recruiter, you have the chance to solidify their impression of you as a great job candidate.

However, try to keep the conversation to scheduled times set by the recruiter. If the recruiter is asking you if you have time to hop on a call to discuss your resume, use the email response to lock-down time to talk to do so versus talking about how great your resume is in the email.

If the recruiter is asking for more details about you, you can answer via email, but offer up options to continue the conversation in a call if they’d be interested.

Generally, the first times you communicate with a recruiter don’t need to be novels. They are usually logistical correspondences so that you can get to the great conversations face to face or over a phone interview.

Example Answer if You Want the New Job

Whether you applied through an online job board or you never heard of the job opening before today, here’s a good way to respond to a recruiter email when you’re interested in the job:

Example Answer if You Don’t Want the Job but Are Interested in the Company

Sometimes, you’ll get an intriguing proposition from a recruiter out of the blue. But the new job they’re pitching isn’t exactly in line with your career goals. There’s a chance that you could use this email as an opportunity to learn more about other roles that suit your interests better.

First, research what other job openings the company has to see if you have the qualifications for them. You can even get together a resume and cover letter to send along with your response email (tailored for the job you want).

Let’s look at an example email response for this scenario:

Example Answers of How To Respond To a Recruiter Email If You’re Not Interested

Let’s say you get contacted by a recruiter but you are not interested in the job. Should you ignore them or reply?

If you are contacted by a recruiter about a job that you didn’t apply to, it is polite to answer them, but if you have no desire to work for that company ever then it’s not required. However, if you have applied for the position and a recruiter emails you about the position, but you are no longer interested, you should reply.

Here are two examples of responding to a recruiter for a job you are no longer interested in:

• Thank you for contacting me about my application to (company). Unfortunately, I have already accepted another position and am no longer an active job seeker. OR Unfortunately, I am no longer able to pursue this job position. I deeply appreciate your time in reaching out to me.

• Thank you for contacting me about this exciting opportunity at (company). At this time, I am not seeking employment but I appreciate your offer to discuss this position.

FAQs

• How quickly should you respond to a recruiter?

  You should try to respond to recruiter in one or two days. You should try to replay as soon as possible keeping in mind that emails sent over the weekend don’t really need to be replied to until Monday.

• How do you greet a recruiter in an email?

  You should use a professional greeting like “Hello” when communicating with a recruiter in an email. While the field or industry you work in may have different standards, when you communicate with a recruiter you should greet them professionally, but not over the top. Avoid informal “Hi” and “Hey” and also the overly formal “To Whom It May Concern”.

Final Thoughts

Responding to recruiters can be a scary experience: you are so excited that you’ve finally made it to the next step but you don’t want to mess it up. Luckily, there are common questions recruiters ask when planning the next steps in the job hiring process and we’ve come up with some examples to help you craft great responses.

Now that you’re a recruiter response pro, get back to your inbox, fire away some replies, and get one step closer to your dream job.

Author

Heidi Cope

Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.