Dear Recruiter,
As per your request, please see my attached resume. I believe my qualifications indicate that I am the ideal candidate for the open position at <insert company here>. My communication skills and affinity for teamwork coalesce to constitute effective competencies which complement the aforementioned position. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
<insert name here>
So you’re looking for a job?
Maybe you recently applied, or met someone at a career fair. Or on a plane. Or a networking site. It doesn’t matter – you’ve made professional contact and now you feel a bit like someone who’s just met a romantic interest: is it too soon to call??
Lesson 1: job hunting isn’t dating
Go ahead and follow up. Your competition is. Only they’re terrible at it and you’re about to be amazing. Why is it so important? Because we live in a world that makes it too easy to apply to jobs! Every posting gets an astonishing number of applicants. The algorithms kick in and start filtering people by GPA and keywords.
I resent the idea of reducing you to a number and a list that anyone with an internet connection could produce.
When you communicate with a human, you’re bypassing the robot and taking back a piece of control over your future. You’re more than a number and I want them to see it. This isn’t the time to play it cool, it’s the time to show that you’re obsessed with this organization’s mission.
Lesson 2: most people write terrible followup messages
I really hope my fake letter at the start of this post irritated you. But can you figure out why? We could go into it with the red pen and reword for the rest of our lives. Wouldn’t matter. The key idea that’s been missed by that, and many real letters is that they’re being sent to a real live human person!
That’s right. A person. An individual who woke up today, kissed someone goodbye, and got stuck in traffic. Someone who didn’t finish everything yesterday and can’t remember the last time they saw the bottom of their email inbox. Someone with their own hopes and dreams and hobbies and preferences.
Why am I going on like this? Because there is only one secret you need to know when it comes to communicating: it’s done between people.
Write as a human to a human.
Lesson 3: Common Mistakes.
- Assuming that formal writing means using a thesaurus to replace words humans use with fancier words you learned in an SAT prep course. “Aforementioned” isn’t professional, it’s irritating.
- Mistaking initiative for pushiness. We’ve all dealt with irritating salespeople. Don’t be one. How? Focus on their goals and mission, not your desire for employment.
- Doing their job for them. Don’t tell someone you’re the “ideal candidate.” How could you know that? Tell them who you are and what you’re all about and let them decide.
- “I believe.” This is a way we soften strong statements because we lack confidence. Only say things you believe. Now drop the preface and say them.
- Writing for robots. Don’t leave out personal notes, such as “I hope you had a nice weekend,” or “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
- Weak, passive closings. “I look forward to hearing from you” is the quickest way to ensure that you won’t.
Now that you know what not to do, read on to find out what you should focus on.
Lesson 4: Do This.
- Say something that reminds them of the conversation you had so they can put a face with the name. You’re not their only email today.
- Use a simple subject line like “nice meeting you at the career fair.” Give them context in your subject line so they can decide what mindset to be in when the open the message. Vague subjects don’t trick people into reading your note, don’t try it.
- Express enthusiasm for THEIR mission and their product (not just “I really really want that job please!”). They’re not in the business of giving people jobs. They’re in the business of making something. Let them know how much you believe in that thing. Side note: if you don’t believe in their product, apply somewhere else. It’s s big world and life is short.
- Close assuming you belong there: “I look forward to exploring where I can make the best contribution in your organization” is far stronger than “I look forward to hearing from you.” It also reiterates your commitment to achieving their mission.
Market Yourself
Quick question: on the last major purchase you made, did you simply ask for a stack of competing products’ spec sheets, read over them, and make a decision? Didn’t think so. You read reviews, asked a salesperson for their opinion, discussed with as many people as possible. In the business that is You, inc. you’re the product, the developer, the marketing team, and the CEO. Right now, it’s time for you to market yourself.
Need help? Send me your followup message and I’ll tell you what I think. DM on any platform.
