A LinkedIn message took 2 minutes to write and got the sender a job at a successful startup – even though they weren’t hiring

• A LinkedIn message that took two minutes to write got Elliott Bell a job in marketing at The Muse.
• Here’s how to write a cold email or message that gets you a job.
• It’s important to mention something personal and to be respectful of the recipient’s time.

Kathryn Minshew, cofounder and CEO of the career advice and job listings site The Muse, hadn’t been looking to hire a head of marketing in 2012.

Then she received a LinkedIn message from Elliott Bell that changed her mind. Bell was hired as the director of marketing a few months later. He worked at The Muse for four years.

It might not seem like the most conventional way to land a job, but online networking is becoming an increasingly important element of the job hunt since the onset of the pandemic. From online career fairs to industry-specific online events, networking opportunities from the comfort of your own home are plentiful. And sometimes, a simple LinkedIn message can be the extra push your career needs.