Email recruiter - How To

Hi Andrea,

When reaching out to recruiters, the key is to keep it short, professional and easy for them to help you. Here’s what works best:

1. Attach your CV in the first message
Yes — it makes their life easier and signals you’re prepared. Keep it one page and polished

2. Mention a specific posting only if it’s relevant
If there’s a role you’re clearly targeting, include one line about it so they instantly know your intent
If not, keep it general and focus on learning more about the office or recruiting timeline

3. Keep the outreach simple and low-pressure
Recruiters appreciate messages that cover

• Who you are
• Why you’re reaching out
• What you’re hoping to learn in a short 10–15 minute chat

Do’s

• Personalize your message
• Be concise
• Show genuine interest in the office or practice
• Offer your availability clearly

Don’ts

• Don’t ask directly for a referral in the first message
• Don’t send long paragraphs about your whole background
• Don’t follow up too often — every 7–10 days is enough

If you’d like, I can help you draft an outreach message tailored to your profile - feel free to reach out.

Best,
Evelina

Hi Andrea,

When you reach out to recruiters, the most important thing is that your message feels simple, polite, and easy to respond to. Recruiters get a lot of outreach, so clarity matters more than the perfect formula.

1. CV in the first message?
You can attach it, but it is not mandatory. If you do, it simply saves them a step. If you prefer not to, then at least include one short line summarizing who you are so they immediately understand your profile.

2. Mentioning a specific job posting
Only do this if you are clearly targeting that role. It shows intention and avoids any guesswork on their side. If you are still exploring the firm or the office, it is completely fine to keep the message broader and focus on wanting to understand opportunities or timelines.

3. General outreach tips
What tends to work best is a short note that sounds human. A couple of lines about your background, why you’re reaching out to this firm or office specifically, and whether they might be open to a quick conversation. You do not need a long explanation or a detailed pitch.

What usually doesn’t help is asking directly for a referral right away or writing a very long message. Most recruiters simply don’t have the bandwidth for that. A natural, respectful tone gets you much further.

Hope this helps!

Hello, great to see your proactive approach!

My take on this is while you may get lucky reaching out to a recruiter at a firm, your time is much better spent reaching out to other consultants (multiple levels) at your target firms.
The thing is that the recruiters will get many emails from prospective candidates and may or may not be receptive to them. From my own experience in an MBB I know for a fact that the recruitment team was not very responsive (even to candidates already somewhat in the process). This is not to say that they will 100% not response but I would recommend connecting with people from general consulting who can:
a) fill you in on what to expect
b) tell you about all the great reasons why they love the company
c) give you tips
d) may offer to refer you

This will be a great resource!

In terms of your specific question for recruiters:
-Make sure your CV is strong and ready and then YES attach - if on the off chance the recruiter sees how great a fit you are they may connect
-If there is a posting that you're a great fit for, best to mention. However if it is an open posting for general consulting, you're essentially just pleading your case generally. If you're applying to an expert track that is a different story.

All of this bottom line - networking with many consultants in the firm will likely be more impactful.

Happy to talk further if helpful!

 

Recruiters respond to clarity and professionalism. Your first email should be 4–6 lines max, and your goal is a conversation — not a job.

• Don’t attach your CV immediately. Wait until they respond.
• Do mention the role if you’re applying for something active. It gives them context.
• Do include 1–2 credibility markers (school, experience).
  What matters most is consistency and follow-up. People tank their chances by writing long rambling paragraphs.
  If you want templates + exact formatting, they’re inside Applications

Also, it's generally a waste of time to target recruiters (there are much better approaches to getting past the initial screening stage), but that wasn't really your question!

Andrea, 

That's a great idea and you should definitely do it. 

Yes, do attach the CV in you reachout email, but please make sure that it is ready to be shared. Most candidates underestimate the expectations of how a CV should look like. 

Also, suggest a 10-15 minute call and some specific dates / times that could work for you in order to make scheduling easier. 

Lastly, for the call itself, prepare specific questions that you want to ask. 

Sharing here a guide that might help about how to approach the application process:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

hey Andrea :)

Keep it short and friendly, no CV in the first message, just ask for a quick chat. Mention your background and interest in the firm, and you can reference a role if it feels natural, but it’s not necessary. Focus on building a connection first, not pushing for a job immediately.

best, Alessa :)

Hi Andrea,

Reaching out to recruiters is totally fine and you don’t need anything complicated. A short intro and a clear ask for a quick chat is usually enough. Attaching your CV would be convenient for the recruiter but not mandatory. You can also mention the role you’re targeting so they have context, but keep it light. Biggest tip is to personalize the note and keep the ask small as recruiters get a ton of messages, so simple and respectful goes a long way.