This has been such a great conversation.
I am so glad I reached out to you.
By the way, do you know where they're
at in the hiring process?
I don't believe interviews have started yet,
but I'm going to connect you directly with the hiring
manager so you can set up a conversation with them.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
No matter what you do for work, chances
are you will have to reach out to a professional connection
at some point for a new job, but there
are good and bad ways to approach the ask, as well
as the conversation.
We'll run through some examples of both,
so the next time you need to ping a professional connection,
you do so with the right tools.
Simone just graduated from college
and is looking to land her first job.
She's already applied to a position
and is trying to get in touch with someone
she found online that also works at the company.
Let's see how she crafts her message.
"Dear Bree, I recently applied to the researcher position
at your company, and I'm wondering
if you have a few minutes for a phone call this week?
I would love to hear more about your company
and to see if you might be able to help me get an interview.
Thank you.
Simone."
Would you reply back if someone blindly reached out
to you like this?
Probably not.
Reaching out to someone you don't
know for professional help can be really tricky, especially
since we are constantly inundated
with messages and emails.
You need to make yours stand out.
Why should this person take time out
of their day to respond to you?
Simone's message feels a little too generic and self-serving.
It shows she hasn't done any research
on the person she's asking for help, which is so important
here.
If you want a response, a blind message
should be tailored specifically to the person
you're reaching out to.
Helpful tip-- people are very susceptible to compliments.
Let's see Simone try that again.
"Dear Bree, I hope you are doing well.
I came across your profile online
and was so impressed by how you've
been able to work your way up at your company
in just a few years.
I recently applied for a researcher job,
and I noticed that's actually where
you started at the company.
If you have a couple minutes for a phone call this week,
I would love to ask you a few questions
about your experience.
I think your insight could be really helpful for me
as I'm looking to start my own career.
Thank you.
Simone."
How much better was that?
This time around Simone started the message
focused on the other person and not them.
Simone not only complimented the person on their career success
so far, but she also made a direct tie
to why she was reaching to this person specifically.
The ask itself feels less demanding.
Remember, the goal here is to get a response.
You'll be able to ask for more in the actual conversation.
Speaking of, let's see how this conversation can play out.
Thank you so much for taking my call today.
No problem.
I'm happy to help however I can.
So what's up?
I don't want to take up too much of your time,
but I recently graduated and have
been applying in various jobs.
The researcher job at this company
seems like it's right up my alley for the direction
that I'd like to start my career.
Given that you started in this role as well,
I'd love to hear about your time at the company.
Of course.
Well, I have really enjoyed my time here.
Starting as a researcher was such a great entry
point for me, and since then, I've
been given consistent opportunities
to continue to grow in my career.
That's great to hear.
And very reassuring.
How is the team you work on?
Is your work fairly siloed or is it more collaborative?
It's definitely collaborative.
The team dynamic is really important here,
and it's something that's highly valued.
As a researcher, you will be an integral part
of a lot of projects.
I love to hear that.
I find that I do my best work when it's collaborative.
When you were a researcher, what kinds of projects
were you helping with?
You can tell Simone is sincere and wanting to learn more
about the company and isn't just immediately asking
if Bree can help her.
She's asking thoughtful questions that
are useful to her understanding of the role and the company,
and it's keeping the conversation succinct so as
to not waste time.
A good rule of thumb--
try not to take more than 10 minutes of their time
on the phone.
At the end of their conversation,
let's see how Simone wraps it up.
This has been incredibly helpful.
Thank you so much again.
I'm even more confident now that this position is
the right one for me, and I'm so excited at the thought
of joining the team.
If you're comfortable, would you be
willing to connect me with the hiring manager?
I'm happy to.
An important thing to remember going into these conversations
is to have a goal in mind.
What do you want from it?
Simone is direct in her ask, but not forceful.
She reemphasizes her interest in joining
the company and her confidence in her ability
to do the job well.
Nicely done.
Let's take a look at another common scenario-- getting back
in touch with someone you know.
"Hi, Lucas.
Hey.
It's been a while.
I recently applied for a job at your company
before realizing you're currently there.
Are you free for a phone chat sometime this week?
I would love to hear if you have any knowledge of the role
and to see if you could put in a good word for me.
Thanks.
Simone."
Simone is straight to the point.
I will give her that.
But there's not a lot else going here.
Reaching out to someone you know from the past
is easier than a blind ask because you already
have history.
That doesn't mean some of the rules don't apply.
Your message shouldn't feel one-sided.
A reintroduction should be warm and meant
to reestablish your prior relationship.
That way it's more genuine when it comes time
to ask them for help.
Let's try that one again.
"Hi, Lucas.
I can't believe it's been so long.
How have things been going?
The kids have to be in middle school by now, right?
It'd be great to catch up further,
and I am wondering if you have a few minutes to hop on a phone
call this week?
I recently applied for a job at your company
and would love to hear about your time there.
Let me know.
Thanks.
Simone."
Look how good that was.
Simone made the reintroduction feel much more personal
and conversational versus it feeling like they're just
using them for a favor.
It shows Simone took interest in this relationship,
and that can go a long way in getting a response.
Now let's see how this conversation could play out.
It's so great to connect again.
I was thrilled when I saw you were at this company, too.
How have things been?
Things have been going very well.
I was excited to get your message because we're
hiring like crazy right now.
I've been at this company for about four years now,
and I've seen the company double in size during that time.
I love to hear that.
Based on the role I applied for and some of the research
I've done, it looks like you guys are trying to expand more
into the food and beverage market,
and that's good news because it's
the vertical I've been working in since the last time we
worked together.
Cutting in for a second.
What Simone just did is great.
When reconnecting with someone in your professional network,
you should always try to make it reciprocal.
It could be industry knowledge you have to offer,
like in this case, or introductions you can make,
just something that makes it feel like a two-way street.
Let's see how this convo wraps up.
This has been such a great conversation.
I am so glad I reached out to you.
By the way, do you know where they're
at in the hiring process?
I don't believe interviews have started yet,
but I'm going to connect you directly with the hiring
manager so you can set up a conversation with them.
I'm confident you'd be an asset to the team.
There we go.
Simone was well-researched going into this conversation,
and it paid off.
While it's always easier reaching out
to someone versus someone you don't, that
doesn't mean you should approach the conversation
any less prepared.
Leveraging professional connections, new or old,
is a staple of the workforce, and no matter what,
always remember to be genuine.
These conversations could take you a long way.
Make sure to like and subscribe for more interview
tips and tricks.
--and noticed that's actually where
you started at the company.
That was great.
OK.
That was totally [INAUDIBLE].
Let's do that one more time.
Cool.
And go into the next part.
I don't remember what I did.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm going to try.
[INAUDIBLE]