Chapter 15. Practical Exercises
How to Use This Chapter
Use the exercises as short team sprints. Do not run through all of them: pick one exercise that addresses the current process gap and finish it with a concrete artefact.
Remember in One Phrase
Sourcing skill grows faster when the team practises a small part of the process and immediately saves the result into a working template.
| If Your Task Is | Go to Section | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Start with a chaotic vacancy | Exercise 1 | Search brief |
| Clarify who to search for | Exercises 2–3 | Portrait and hypotheses |
| Improve search | Exercise 4 | Boolean iteration log |
| Raise evaluation and contact quality | Exercises 5–6 | Evaluated profiles and messages |
| Fix management | Exercise 7 | Weekly update |
Quick Chapter Map
1. Choose one process problem.
2. Set a timer for 30 minutes.
3. Work within one template.
4. Finish the exercise with an artefact you can use tomorrow.
Minimal Start
If you are unsure where to start, pick Exercise 1 for a new role or Exercise 7 for a stuck role. After the sprint, save the result into a template from Appendix D or into the ATS/CRM, not into personal notes.
Choosing Your First Exercise:
New or vague role – Exercise 1.
Unclear who to search for – Exercises 2 and 3.
Search produces noise – Exercise 4.
You have profiles but few replies – Exercises 5 and 6.
Process is stuck at the client – Exercise 7.
Exercise 1. Rewrite the Job Description into a Search Brief
Goal: translate vague requirements into observable indicators.
Instruction: take the role, highlight requirements, classify them, rewrite mandatory requirements as observable indicators, add job title variants and donor companies.
Result: a one-page search brief.
Self-Check: could another sourcer search using this?
Exercise 2. Candidate Portrait
Goal: create a portrait that helps with searching.
Instruction: describe the work performed, environment, tools, obvious and adjacent job titles, public traces, communities, and three angles for the first message.
Result: a candidate portrait canvas.
Self-Check: does the portrait yield keywords and sources?
Exercise 3. Five Hypotheses
Goal: move from one search to multiple market hypotheses.
Instruction: write five pools, source, risk, and first test.
Result: a hypothesis list.
Self-Check: can each hypothesis be tested?
Exercise 4. Boolean Queries
Goal: practise query iteration.
Instruction: create a broad, narrow, and balanced query; check 20 results each; record relevance and noise; improve the best one.
Result: a query testing log.
Self-Check: has relevance improved?
Exercise 5. Ten LinkedIn Profiles
Goal: apply fact-based evaluation.
Instruction: choose 10 profiles, evaluate each, mark "contact / save / reject / calibrate," add a factual note.
Result: an evaluated profile list.
Self-Check: are the decisions consistent?
Exercise 6. Rewrite a Weak Message
Goal: improve reply quality.
Instruction: take a generic message, add facts, replace company claims with candidate value, remove fake urgency and exaggerated praise, write two follow-up messages.
Result: a first message and follow-up messages.
Self-Check: does the candidate understand why you contacted them specifically?
Exercise 7. Weekly Update
Goal: guide the client through facts.
Instruction: gather profiles reviewed, messages sent, replies, interested replies, qualified candidates, hypotheses, rejection reasons, the main constraint, and the one decision needed.
Result: a weekly sourcing update.
Self-Check: does the update lead to a decision?
Key Takeaways / Where to Go Next
Take away one practical rhythm: each week the team practises one part of sourcing, saves an artefact, and improves the next real search. For copy-paste forms, go to Appendix D; for team regulations, go to Appendix C.
