How to Respond to an Interview Request on LinkedIn

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Recruiters and employers looking for a qualified professional to fill an open position often used LinkedIn to identify potential candidates. 

To enhance your chances of receiving an invitation to interview, make sure that you are updating your LinkedIn profile regularly and that all your information is correct and well-presented.  

When you are contacted for an interview via LinkedIn, you have two options for how to respond.

You can either respond in the LinkedIn messenger function, or you can move the communication to email. 

This article will discuss how to tell which means of communication to respond by and will provide sample messages for both. 

Whichever platform you use to respond, keep your tone professional and formal.

It can be tempting to become a little too casual when using LinkedIn messenger, but bear in mind when using the chat function that you are talking to your potential boss and not an old school friend!

 

How to respond to an interview request on LinkedIn

1. Use an appropriate greeting and include the recruiter’s name.
2. Thank the recruiter for contacting you.
3. Confirm your interest in an interview.
4. State or confirm your availability.
5. Attach a copy of your up-to-date resume. 
6. Ask whether the recruiter requires any more information from you. 
7. Tell the recruiter you look forward to meeting them.
8. End with an appropriate closing line and your full name. 
9. Check your LinkedIn regularly so you don’t miss a response. 

 

Example 1: How to respond to an interview request on LinkedIn if you are a jobseeker

As a jobseeker, you are in greater need of finding a paid position than someone who is in stable employment.

However, that doesn’t mean that you need to come across as needy in your communications with potential employers. 

The most important thing to do as a jobseeker is have an up-to-date resume and easily adaptable cover letter ready to go in case an employer reaches out to you. 

Employers (and recruiters acting on their behalf) appreciate a prompt and enthusiastic response, as this shows that you are on the ball, communicative, and excited about your work. 

There are many ways to say, “I confirm my attendance of the interview,” via the LinkedIn messaging portal, so you don’t have to follow the exact formula of the sample response provided below. 

That said, the sample will give you a good idea of the kind of message it is appropriate to send under the circumstances.  

 

 

Example 2: How to respond to an interview request on LinkedIn via email

For most interview invitations that you receive on LinkedIn, is it appropriate to respond via the website’s messenger system. However, there are certain circumstances under which you may wish to transfer your communication to email. 

The first and most obvious is when the recruiter or employer who has contacted you has requested that you get in touch via email and provided an address for you to write to. 

Make sure you comply with this request to show that you read thing thoroughly and are good at following instructions.

These are two skills that are highly valued by employers in all fields. 

Responding to the email address provided will allow you to go into the interview having already demonstrated a fundamental level of professional competence. 

The other situation in which it may be appropriate to respond to an interview request via email rather than through the LinkedIn messaging function is when the company that has contacted you is highly prestigious and known for maintain an extremely formal work environment.  

If you can find the professional email address of the hiring manager who has reached out to you, you can send your response there.

Simply explain that you are following up on their LinkedIn communication.

It is also a good idea to send the recruiter, hiring manager, or employer who has reached out to you a copy of your resume. Make sure your resume is in top form. 

Whatever professional field you are applying for work in, investigate the best practices for composing a resume tailored to that field.

For example, if you are applying for a position in sales, make sure to include the best sales keywords to put on your resume.

Here is a sample email sent in response to an interview request on LinkedIn. 

 

 

Example 3: How to respond to an invitation to a Zoom interview on LinkedIn

If you are wondering how to respond to a Zoom interview request, don’t worry, the content of your response should pretty much be the same as a response to an invitation to attend an in-person interview. 

The only differences are that you may want to consider the logistical question of who is responsible for arranging the Zoom link and that you should confirm that you are happy to conduct the interview over Zoom.

Before your interview, you might consider preparing by checking out some tips for a successful Zoom interview.  

Here is a sample response to an invitation to a Zoom interview on LinkedIn. 

 

 

Once you have had your interview, remember that even though you did not meet in person, it is still important to write a thank you email after a zoom interview.  

Remember that you will be informed of the hiring manager’s decision once it has been made, and that there isn’t much point sitting in front of a portal wondering about the meaning behind the application statuses shown on the site.

You’ve done the hard work, so go out and enjoy yourself and you will hear how the interview went soon enough!

 

Example 4: How to respond to an interview request on LinkedIn if you are not interested

The steps outlined above for how to respond to an invitation to interview on LinkedIn are only relevant if you are interested in the advertised position and would like to attend the interview you have been invited to. 

If, on the other hand, you are quite happy in your current job or are just not interested in the kind of work that the recruiter is offering you, you should respond by politely declining the opportunity to interview. 

There is no need to move the communication over to email if you are not interested in the role.

Instead, you can simply respond using the messenger function on LinkedIn. 

Many people may wonder why they should respond at all if they are not interested in the job.

While this may initially seem like a fair question, there are several good reasons to respond to an invitation to interview, even if you are declining. 

For one thing, you never know what other positions might become available at the same company that you are be interested in. 

It is also always possible that the recruiter who is hiring on behalf of a company you don’t want to work for also works for a company you would like to work for and will think of you if a suitable and exciting role pops up the future. 

Regardless of your own personal advancement, it is always polite to respond when someone reaches out to you, as this is just good email etiquette.

So, if you have the time, shoot off a quick message politely declining the offer. 

Here is a sample response declining an interview request on LinkedIn.