Reading the posting
Three lines to extract from every job description, then a freshness check.
1. The pain sentence
The line that describes the problem the hire will own, in the company's words:
- "You will build our outbound motion from scratch"
- "Own our list-building process end to end"
- "Replace our current spreadsheet workflow"
- "Bring structure to a sales process that has grown organically"
It is the opener. Quote it back, lightly rephrased, and the note proves it was written for them. A JD with no pain sentence (all "you are a self-starter" boilerplate) is a weaker signal; keep it only if the row in the signal table is strong.
2. The stack
Tools named in the requirements are the tools they use or are leaving:
- "Experience with [CRM name]" means they run it. If the product replaces it, that is the conversation; if it sits next to it, that is the integration to mention later.
- "Experience with [tool] a plus" means they do not have it yet and are considering it.
- Two competing tools in the same JD means they are mid-migration.
Do not open on the stack. Note it for the second message.
3. The boss
"Reports to the VP Sales" names the buyer in the company's own words. When the line is missing, the buyer is the most senior person in that function on LinkedIn; at companies under 200 people it is usually the founder.
Freshness
| Posting age | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| under 30 days | live budget, buyer is paying attention | contact now |
| 30 to 90 days | still open, harder to fill, or the process is slow | contact; mention the time to hire only if the JD was reposted |
| over 90 days | filled, frozen or forgotten | skip |
| reposted every 2 weeks | they are struggling to hire | its own opener: "while you look for the SDR, here is what the role would do on day one" |
Freshness matters more than volume. Ten postings under 30 days beat a hundred of any age.
What to write down per posting
Company, role, posting date, pain sentence (verbatim), stack named, "reports to" line, count of people already in that function on the company page. That row is the whole input to the next two steps.