Hello, I have what I consider a unique question for the group. A job posting just went up this morning. It’s with a company I am targeting and for a position I am well qualified for.

Here’s the catch, under the expectations sections of the job posting, the first bullet states the position will be fulfilled by an experienced internal hire. I don’t personally know the internal recruiter but I am connected with her on LinkedIn and have her work email. I want to send her a note that would convince her to give me (an external candidate) an opportunity to prove to them that I am a better candidate than anyone they have internally.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Topic

I would recommend emailing her in the format of the cover letter template, listing the bullet points that qualify you for the position. That should readily highlight your qualifications for positive comparison against any internal candidates they may have.

I very strongly suspect that job was posted internally first, and when they couldn’t find someone to fill it HR was directed to post it externally, but if HR is busy, they’ll just post before they realize what they’re posting.

If they were posting it externally just to meet the legal requirement of posting it externally, I’m not sure posting a job that says they will only hire an internal candidate meets that requirement (some companies are required to post positions externally for a certain number of days pending the size and classification of the company).

So I would follow our normal process, reach out to the hiring manager first, ask if he/she can point you in the right direction, and if you can get them on the phone to ask, before hanging up give them a very sincere thanks (even if they say apply online) “because it says you’re only looking for internal candidates, and from the description, this job seems like an ideal fit for me. I’ve been watching for postings from a few companies I really liked like yours, and when I saw this one from you I was excited that there might be a chance to work there doing exactly what I do.” …or something to that affect. Show them you’re interested, that you’re qualified, and if you touch on that subject the hiring manager might make a point to consider you.

That’s how I would approach it. Let us know how it goes!