Applying through a job board and waiting is the slowest way to get hired. The candidates who get interviews faster do three extra things: they make their profile easy to say yes to, they show proof they can do the work, and they reach the people who make hiring decisions. This playbook covers all three for sales development, inside sales, HR recruiting and customer success roles. It includes 30 messages, a profile checklist, a proof of work method and a 30 day routine. Our free career courses teach the skills behind each role, and we link to them throughout.
Make your profile easy to say yes to
- Headline: the role you want plus your proof. Example: 'Aspiring SDR | Completed XDQ Academy SDR course | Ran outreach for college fest sponsorships'.
- About: three short paragraphs. What you do or want to do, two examples of results, what you are looking for.
- Featured: pin your proof of work (see below).
- Experience: write results, not duties. 'Booked 14 sponsor meetings' beats 'Handled sponsorships', but only use numbers that are true.
- Skills: add the skills listed in the job posts you want.
- Open to work: turn it on for recruiters only if you are currently employed.
Proof of work beats a CV
Hiring managers in sales and HR want to see that you can do the job. A short piece of proof makes your message stand out from hundreds of applications. Make it about their company, keep it to one page or a two minute video, and send it with your message.
- For SDR roles: a list of 10 target accounts for their product, with one line on why each fits and a first message you would send.
- For inside sales to the US: a short cold call script for their product, plus how you would handle two objections.
- For HR recruiting: a three line role pitch and a Boolean search string for one of their open roles.
- For customer success: a first week onboarding plan for a new customer of their product.
Who to message
Message the hiring manager (the person the role reports to), a recruiter or HR partner at the company, and one or two people currently in the role. People in the role can tell you what it is really like and often refer good candidates.
The 30 day routine
- Week 1: fix your profile, finish one free career course, and pick 20 target companies.
- Week 2: create one proof of work and send it to five hiring managers. Ask for two referrals.
- Week 3: apply to roles at your target companies and follow up on week 2 messages. Post once about what you learned in your course.
- Week 4: practise interviews with a friend, follow up again, and add 10 new target companies.
- Every day: one hour of outreach, one hour of learning, and replies to everyone who wrote back.
Interview prep in one page
- Know the company: what they sell, to whom, and one recent news item.
- Prepare three stories: a goal you hit, a time you handled rejection, a time you learned something fast.
- For sales roles, be ready to sell something live, and ask good questions before you pitch.
- Prepare two questions for them: how success is measured in the first 90 days, and what top performers do differently.
- Send a thank you message within 24 hours.
The 30 templates
Replace everything in [brackets] with real details. Read each one aloud before sending, and change the words until it sounds like you.