This week I’m doing something close to home— how to find a recruiter that works for you. Maybe you’ve lost your job, maybe you’re looking to move companies. Whatever the reason, I cannot stress enough how important it is to lean on and utilize recruiters. But we’ll get to more on that.

If educational reading sounds like too much to take on this far into the week (an absolute vibe) here’s a link to this lovely and easily consumable 15-minute podcast:

Alright, so you’re looking for a recruiter…

I think it’s fair to take one step back even further and say why you should be looking for a recruiter in the first place. Recruiters are an absolute wealth of knowledge in the hiring world. No one understands the market quite like a recruiter because it’s, well, our job. Need help making your resume or LinkedIn stand out? Use a recruiter. Find a job posting you love but need a connection at a company? Use a recruiter. Need to get a feel for the average salary range of a position you’re thinking about pursuing? Use a recruiter. So instead of spamming 100 jobs with your resume use that energy to start messaging, calling and connecting with us.

Okay, so here’s a quick rundown on how to find the recruiter for you. Start with a simple LinkedIn search. Search “tech recruiter” and then filter “Nashville” (or whatever city you’re looking to work in). Now you’re looking at somewhere around 650 results, right? Having flashbacks to your days on Tinder? Well, these are the specs I would use to narrow down the list:

• Profile Picture— if it’s stale, that’s a pass.

• Connections— these people are recruiters, they should be the last people on LinkedIn who are low on connections. Look for 500 minimum but something in the 2,000-3,000 range is ideal.

• Activity— you can shoot your shot and message someone who isn’t particularly active but I think we both know how that’s likely to end.

• 2 & 2 Rule— you should be looking for at least two years of recruiting and two years of working for the same company. The fastest way for recruiters to get a bump in base pay is to switch companies, so take stints under two years with a grain of salt.

So now that you’ve narrowed down your search, it’s time to start messaging. Pro move: every time you message a new recruiter ask them to help you with one thing. Can you help with with my resume? What’s one thing you think I should change on my LinkedIn? You’re networking and you’re getting free help. I’d call that a double win.

Alright, get out there. Start your search. Worst case scenario you make some great connections along the way.