Key takeaways
- In-house recruiters hire for their own company; agency recruiters are paid by employers, never by you.
- A clear LinkedIn headline with your target role and location gets you found.
- Short, specific messages to recruiters work better than long ones.
- A recruiter who asks you for money is not a real recruiter.
I handle recruitment in my job in Germany, so I see both sides. Recruiters can open doors for international candidates, if you understand how they work.
Two kinds of recruiters
| In-house recruiter | Agency recruiter or headhunter | |
|---|---|---|
| Works for | One company | Several client companies |
| Paid by | Their employer | The hiring company, never you |
| Best for you | Roles at that company | Specialist and senior roles |
How to get found
- A LinkedIn headline with your target role, key skills and "open to relocate to Germany".
- Your location set to your target city if you are open to moving, and open to work settings switched on for recruiters.
- Keywords from real job ads in your About section and experience.
Read my LinkedIn checklist.
How to message a recruiter
Three or four lines: who you are, the role or field you target, one strong result, and one question. Attach nothing in the first message; share your CV when they reply. My networking guide has examples.
Red flags
- Anyone asking you to pay for a job, a "processing fee" or a visa.
- Offers without an interview, or with unrealistically high salaries.
- Messages from free email addresses claiming to be from big companies.
Read the full job scam checklist.
Free PDF: 10 messages that get repliesDownload it free in under a minute, or send
TEMPLATES to @swapnil_in_germany on Instagram.
Written by Swapnil (Samadhan Mule)
I moved to Germany for my master's, collected more than 1,000 rejections, and then got multiple job offers within six months. I work in digital marketing in Germany and help international professionals get hired in Europe. Read my story.