Most people get their jobs because of connections--they know someone or know someone who has a friend who knows someone. Even when people apply through traditional avenues, such as job boards, they are more likely to receive an invitation to interview if they are personally recommended by someone known to the employer. That's why email networking can be extremely effective for job seekers, but only when done properly. Here are some tips for getting the most out of email networking
- Alert all your contacts that you are job searching--The rule of networking is to cast a broad net. Job seekers should let everyone from their pastor to their former colleagues know that they are in the market for a new job.
- Personalize your emails--Although job seekers will be tempted to save time by sending out a generic email to everyone they know, this tactic is much less likely to get results. Just like broadcast job search letters sent indiscriminately to companies tend to have a low success rate, broadcast networking emails are equally unsuccessful. Job seekers should take the time to address each person individually, referring to details that cement the personal connections and make the recipient feel special.
- Let your contacts know the kind of opportunities you're looking for--Job seekers should be specific about the types of work they want and the types of companies that interest them. This will help contacts make the best referrals.
- Be specific about how the contact can help--People like to know what they're being asked to do, so email networkers should provide some specific actions to take. These can include forwarding the job seeker's resume to people who might be interested or providing the job seeker with potential contacts at companies where they job seeker wants to apply.
- Give something in return--We are always more open to giving something to someone else if they give us something too. Where possible, job seekers should offer to provide some specific help--"I'm happy to forward your resume to some people if that would be helpful." At a minimum, they should close with some generic offer to support the networking contact if they have something they need from the job seeker.
- Attach a copy of your resume--This gives networking contacts some info to share with others and also provides them with more details on the job seeker.
Email can be a great way to network for the next job, but like every job search technique, you have to be sure to do it right.
Comments