Should I contact the hiring manager before or after I apply?

After. Apply first so your application is on record, then send the note and mention that you applied.

Is it rude to message a hiring manager directly?

A short, specific note that respects their time is common practice. A long or generic one is easy to ignore.

How do I find the hiring manager's email?

Look for one the person has published, such as on a personal site or a conference page. Do not guess one.

Guide

How to get your application to the hiring manager

Apply through the normal form, then send a short note to the person the role reports to, naming one thing you have done that is relevant to the job, and use only a name you found on a public page.

Last updated November 9, 2026. winq publishes this page, and winq is one of the options in it.

Why the form alone is slow

A form puts you in a queue read by whoever opens it. A short note to the person who owns the role puts one specific thing in front of the one reader who can act on it. Do both: the form keeps your application on record.

The steps

Read the posting for a reports-to line, a team name or a hiring manager title. Some postings say it outright.
Look for that person on the company's team or about page, its blog, or a conference or podcast listing.
If the posting is from a Hacker News thread, the poster often gave a name and a way to reach them.
Search LinkedIn for the company and the function, such as engineering or product, and read profiles that fit (they may see that you looked).
Write four or five sentences: the job you applied for, one thing you built or shipped that is relevant, a link to it, and one plain request.
Send it once. If there is no reply, move on to the next job.

What to leave out

Guessing a name or an email address. A wrong name sent to a stranger does more harm than no note.
Attaching a long document. A link is enough.
Claiming a connection you do not have.

When you cannot find the person

Postings often do not say who the manager is, and titles differ between companies: a "Head of" role is a different level at different places. If you cannot confirm one person, write to the leaders of the function, or to the recruiter named on the posting, and say which job you mean.

Your options

Do the research by hand. Free and accurate if you check each name against a second public page.
Ask for a referral. A current employee can put your name forward. See our guide on getting a referral without knowing anyone.
Use winq. For each job that passes your deal-breakers, winq shows your best way in, naming a person only when the company's own pages or the posting support it, and you send any note yourself.

Questions

Should I contact the hiring manager before or after I apply?: After. Apply first so your application is on record, then send the note and mention that you applied.
Is it rude to message a hiring manager directly?: A short, specific note that respects their time is common practice. A long or generic one is easy to ignore.
How do I find the hiring manager's email?: Look for one the person has published, such as on a personal site or a conference page. Do not guess one.