"Dear Sir/Madam,"
"I am interested in working together with you in your firm. Attached is my resume. I am sure that after you review it, you will agree that I will be a valuable addition to your firm. Thank you for your time. I look forward to your prompt reply.”
As more and more companies close up shop, there are now more and more former employees of these companies seeking jobs. The above is a real life example of an e-mail I received from a perspective job seeker. This is the worst example, but I have received many others that were not much better. The exact problems of this e-mail and others are spelled out below.
If you are not an engineer, getting a job today is not easy – especially if you are contacting companies that did not advertise job offers. Enable is here to help and today’s column focuses on the proper way to solicit employment via e-mail. We cannot promise you the job or the investment, but we can at least help you get your e-mail looked at and not simply deleted without ever being opened. The rest is up to you.
What follows are tips for getting your initial e-mail read and answered. Next week we will provide tips for making the most out of your job interview.
The All Important Subject Line
Normal people received dozens of e-mails per day. Busy executives receive hundreds. To get noticed your subject line must stand out. Do not leave it blank and do not insult the intelligence of the reader by using terms like “personal and confidential”, or “very important”. Good subject lines for unsolicited jobs could include “seeking chance to prove myself” or “let me show you my capabilities”. If you use these lines, then you must make sure that in the body of the e-mail, you do indeed show that you have something special to offer.
Customization is the Key
I was very tempted to delete the above e-mail as soon as I saw the “Dear Sir/Madam” greeting. As I have mentioned before, do not simply spam potential employers via e-mail lists. Take the time -- at the very least – to identify the person you are sending it to. If not, they will most likely delete it right away. It is also a question of respect. Why should the recipient respect you when you did not even take a few minutes to respect him/her by customizing your salutation.
Customization also includes adding the exact name of the company. For example, do not simply use terms like “your firm” or “your company”. Take the time to research the company and demonstrate that you do indeed have something to offer that is directly related to the specific activities of the target company.
You must keep it short and make it very hard hitting. For example, if you are seeking a job with any service provider, stress that you can bring in new clients and/or that you are well connected. This is what service providers want to hear – not that you have an MBA – everyone has an MBA. The point is that you must ask yourself how can I stand out? When you answer that question, put it in the e-mail in as few words as possible. Demonstrate to the reader that you are valuable – don’t just put in self-serving statements that you are.
Attaching Your Resume
I do not recommend attaching your resume, as most people do not like to open attachments for fear of viruses. Also, a lot of people simply delete any e-mail that has an attachment for someone they do not recognize. Summarize your key advantages in the body of the e-mail and then state that your resume is available upon request. I know that this takes more time and effort than simply attaching your resume – but in the long run it will help you get that job!
Published by Israel's Business Arena on January 23, 2001.