By Danny Rubin
I recently wrote the column below for my blog News To Live By, which shows Millennials the career advice and leadership lessons “hidden” in the day’s top stories. The goal of a blog, in general, is to be as useful for the reader as possible.
In the piece, I give step-by-step instructions for writing critical work-related emails. My hope is that the reader will find all five email templates extremely useful.
Think about your own company blog. Are you offering real value as it relates to your area of expertise? What does your audience need to know? What are their questions, concerns and hangups? Are you meeting that need?
Contact me today (danny@rubincommunications.com) for help crafting smart content on your blog that will get noticed and generate business leads.
Here’s the opening section of the blog post:
5 Ready-to-Use Templates for Tricky Job Search Emails
1. Email to set up a networking meeting
Email subject: Interested in Connecting
Hi _____,
My name is ______, and I am [reason you know the person/reason you want to meet (i.e. “a recent grad”]. I hope you’re doing well!
I am writing because I am interested in a job in the ______ field, and I want to learn more about the industry. I checked out your bio and see you have a lot of experience, particularly with [interesting tid-bit from the person’s LinkedIn resume or web bio].
To give you my quick background, I [2-3 highlights from your resume; only reference the parts that would matter to this person].
It would be great to chat with you by phone or grab coffee. I want to hear more about the work you do and ask questions.
Please let me know your availability over the next couple of weeks.
Thanks, and I look forward to talking with you.
– Your name
Contact info
Notes: Notice how this email is all about absorbing the other person’s knowledge. You’re not asking for a job or even a connection to one. Here, you’re looking for advice. People love imparting wisdom so use the “advice” route to get the networking session (yep, all four steps of the meeting). Ya never know, maybe a job opportunity will stem from your conversation.
2. Thank-you email after a networking meeting
Email subject: Thanks Again
Hi _______,
I want to thank you again for meeting with me earlier today. I really appreciate your time and the information you passed along. [Use this next line to drop a detail from your interaction and prove you listened; for instance, “I can tell from our conversation you’re excited about your company and what’s on tap for 2014.”]
If the person has offered to pass along your resume, say…
I am attaching my resume here. Please feel free to cc me on any emails, and I am happy to follow up.
If the person has no leads for you at the moment…
I am attaching my resume here. Please let me know if anyone comes to mind I should contact. I am happy to send an email and introduce myself.
Thanks again, and have a great day.
– Your name
Contact info
Notes: The first line says “…for meeting with me earlier today.” That’s because you should absolutely write a thank -you email the same day you met (never hurts to use one of these). Also, you should offer to be cc’ed on any future networking emails OR send an email on your own. Give the networker less to do on your behalf, and he/she will appreciate it.
—-
Hopefully, you see what I’m trying to do: provide valuable information that addresses a need (“How do I write these kinds of emails?”) in a format that’s easy to digest (a list post) and can be quickly shared online.
Sure enough, I put the column on the web and people began to share it on Twitter. Why? Because I met a need, a gap in the market.
5 Templates for Tricky Job Search Emails http://t.co/Bba9luIHaH
— PhilaUCareerServices (@PhilaUcsc) December 4, 2013
MT @YouTernMark: 5 helpful cut and paste templates for tricky #job search emails: http://t.co/Z4QaXT2MMm by @newstoliveby #jobtips ^SLP
— Enterprise Jobs (@ERAC_Jobs) November 25, 2013
These are helpful! “5 Cut-and-Paste Templates for Tricky Job Search Emails” http://t.co/oQQEWve1lq by @newstoliveby #jobsearch
— YouTern (@YouTern) November 23, 2013
Exactly. These emails ARE helpful.
Think about your own company blog. What kind of insightful information could you provide that would catch someone’s attention? Help alleviate a concern? This is what all the internet pros call content marketing.
Use the deep understanding of your own business as a way to promote your services and expertise. A company blog is far more than a place to list latest hires and company events. It’s an ideal marketing vehicle, pending you take the time to think critically about the information you can offer to the outside world.
Again, our team at Rubin Communications enjoys helping other companies get the most out of their blogs. Be helpful and valuable, and the blog might just bring you new business.
Contact us today to learn more!
