Comparison and Contrast in Cold Contacts
Yesterday, I received two emails from job seekers wanting me to help them find jobs. They are a study in contrast, and a lesson for anyone reaching out to others for help in their search.
The first letter was from a former colleague at a company I was at for several years. She and I worked together on a project as well as indirectly on other projects. We had established a good working relationship and after she left the company, I made an effort to stay in casual touch with her. She wasn't working at a company I was particularly interested in working for, but I let her know when I got RIF'd from our old company, and kept in touch. She was supportive, and now it's her turn. She also asked how I was doing, and included her resume.
In her letter, she mentioned she'd been RIF'd and that she was looking and was seeking general advice and suggestions for companies. My response was short on suggestions for companies, but long on advice, condolences, and support.
The second letter is one job seekers should never send. Let me emphasize that "never", OK? The subject was the sender's name and "resume and marketing plan" and the send is someone I only met once, very briefly, and we did not interact for more than the time for me to give him the information I thought he might need. We have never communicated again.
The email consisted of an attachment. In order to see what he had to say, I had to open the attachment. The salutation in the letter was my name as seen in LinkedIn, "Jennifer Brown, PMP". If using the metaphor of warm and cold for receptivity, it was feeling brisk, indeed. The attachment had a letter, a resume, and indeed a marketing plan.
If I hadn't known the name of this person as a member of Launchpad, I would have simply deleted it. Instead, I spent more time than I intended providing feedback and cautioning him not to send such a letter out again as part of his search. I sincerely hope he follows my advice.
Sending such a letter, even without the errors in the content (and the red pen would mark it up considerably), could hurt a job search, and possibly close doors that might otherwise be opened.
If you have not established a personal relationship with someone, assume it's a cold contact. Meeting once does not establish a relationship. When you contact that person for help, remember, you're asking for help, they are not required to give it, so make it as easy as possible for them to help you. Help them help you. Don't bury your request, don't assume they have time to read attachments, and don't over-share.
A good example of a cold contact would be:
Dear Jennifer,
Last month, you helped me at a Launchpad meeting by providing me with Sally Smith's name at ABC, Inc. after I introduced myself. If you don't remember, I was the software development project manager who had just been downsized from XYZ corp, along with our mutual friend, John Doe.
I see that you are now at SomeCo, and they are a company I'm very interested in working with. Their reputation for outstanding widgets and cutting edge technology is just one reason why I'd like an opportunity to work with them.
Would you have time to talk to me about SomeCo in the near future? I would love to learn more about the culture at SomeCo as well as opportunities that may be available. I understand you may not have much time, but just a few minutes would be greatly appreciated. My experience is outlined on my LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/somerandomprofile which also includes some endorsements from people we both know, like John Doe, and Mo Shmo.
If you do not have time to talk with me in the near future, could you provide another contact name at SomeCo who might be able to help me? I see you know Larry Roe; If you could introduce me to Larry, I would really appreciate it.
Thank you for your time,
What you should see in there is a memory jog, a brief summation of what you do, and what you're looking for, an indication you understand they are not obligated to help you, even asking for an introduction. If I received a letter like this, I'd be very inclined to make the introduction, and take a few minutes to help someone out.
The first letter was from a former colleague at a company I was at for several years. She and I worked together on a project as well as indirectly on other projects. We had established a good working relationship and after she left the company, I made an effort to stay in casual touch with her. She wasn't working at a company I was particularly interested in working for, but I let her know when I got RIF'd from our old company, and kept in touch. She was supportive, and now it's her turn. She also asked how I was doing, and included her resume.
In her letter, she mentioned she'd been RIF'd and that she was looking and was seeking general advice and suggestions for companies. My response was short on suggestions for companies, but long on advice, condolences, and support.
The second letter is one job seekers should never send. Let me emphasize that "never", OK? The subject was the sender's name and "resume and marketing plan" and the send is someone I only met once, very briefly, and we did not interact for more than the time for me to give him the information I thought he might need. We have never communicated again.
The email consisted of an attachment. In order to see what he had to say, I had to open the attachment. The salutation in the letter was my name as seen in LinkedIn, "Jennifer Brown, PMP". If using the metaphor of warm and cold for receptivity, it was feeling brisk, indeed. The attachment had a letter, a resume, and indeed a marketing plan.
If I hadn't known the name of this person as a member of Launchpad, I would have simply deleted it. Instead, I spent more time than I intended providing feedback and cautioning him not to send such a letter out again as part of his search. I sincerely hope he follows my advice.
Sending such a letter, even without the errors in the content (and the red pen would mark it up considerably), could hurt a job search, and possibly close doors that might otherwise be opened.
If you have not established a personal relationship with someone, assume it's a cold contact. Meeting once does not establish a relationship. When you contact that person for help, remember, you're asking for help, they are not required to give it, so make it as easy as possible for them to help you. Help them help you. Don't bury your request, don't assume they have time to read attachments, and don't over-share.
A good example of a cold contact would be:
Dear Jennifer,
Last month, you helped me at a Launchpad meeting by providing me with Sally Smith's name at ABC, Inc. after I introduced myself. If you don't remember, I was the software development project manager who had just been downsized from XYZ corp, along with our mutual friend, John Doe.
I see that you are now at SomeCo, and they are a company I'm very interested in working with. Their reputation for outstanding widgets and cutting edge technology is just one reason why I'd like an opportunity to work with them.
Would you have time to talk to me about SomeCo in the near future? I would love to learn more about the culture at SomeCo as well as opportunities that may be available. I understand you may not have much time, but just a few minutes would be greatly appreciated. My experience is outlined on my LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/somerandomprofile which also includes some endorsements from people we both know, like John Doe, and Mo Shmo.
If you do not have time to talk with me in the near future, could you provide another contact name at SomeCo who might be able to help me? I see you know Larry Roe; If you could introduce me to Larry, I would really appreciate it.
Thank you for your time,
What you should see in there is a memory jog, a brief summation of what you do, and what you're looking for, an indication you understand they are not obligated to help you, even asking for an introduction. If I received a letter like this, I'd be very inclined to make the introduction, and take a few minutes to help someone out.
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