Job searching can be a frustrating and thankless task. So many applications and enquiries disappear into the ether after you hit send, and you never even know if recruiters have read them. At other times, the only response you get is an automatic receipt and/or ‘no thank you.’ When you send ‘cold’ emails to recruiters, the chances of response seem even lower, yet even these can get a speedy and interested response if they’re done right. What makes the ignored and forgotten emails different from the ones that are successful? HR experts Tower Group provide some job search tips to help set you apart.
Make Your Email Impossible to Ignore
Our blog has plenty of information for employers on how to run their recruitment and HR management efforts. In this blog, however, we direct our advice to the job seeker. Recruiters receive hundreds of emails from applicants desperate to get a foot in the door, especially in trying times like these. How do you make yours stand out? Try these five recruiter email tips.
1. Write With a Specific Purpose in Mind
Before you start writing, know exactly what you want to know and ask – and then write with this in mind. Vague requests and general enquiries will get you shut down before the reader even gets past the first paragraph. Explain your purpose – and make sure it’s about more than looking for a job. Ask about the culture of the company or request an introduction, follow up on an application if you have sent one. Be specific.
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2. Keep It Short
As we said, recruiters have a lot of emails to get through. They don’t have time to read through three introductory paragraphs before you get to your point. Cut out anything that’s unnecessary, run a Grammarly check to root out filler words or tautologies. Don’t feel you need to tiptoe around the subject – you may feel you’re being polite but the recruiter could just lose patience.
3. Invite Simple Responses
Don’t make your requests too complicated and don’t ask for things the recruiter can’t give you after a single mail. If the exchange of communication continues, you can follow up with more detail later.
4. Watch Your Tone
This is a tricky one. You don’t want to be too rigidly formal and you don’t want to be too casual. You want your personality to come through so that recruiters can get a sense of your work manner, but you must also keep your approach professional and courteous.
5. Be Interested But Not Desperate
Always act as if you have options – even if you don’t – and make it easy for you to say, “thank you for your time,” and leave the conversation quickly and easily. You may even get far into an exchange only to find that the job doesn’t suit you – you need to be able to back out politely, casually and without any awkwardness.
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