The Do's and Don'ts When Emailing CEOs and Recruiters
There is nothing better than receiving a LinkedIn notification that your favorite company's CEO accepted your invitation to connect. After Fashinnovation's June 2020 Worldwide Talk, I sent a request to Susan Rockefeller to connect. I have a 300-word LinkedIn connection invitation paragraph typed out to send to all the attendees after their panel is finished. Some accept my requests, some don't; but it's always worth a shot. Ms. Rockefeller accepted my request and sent me a message back that she was happy to connect. I was so pleased and surprised she accepted me... I found her email on her profile and reached out to Ms. Rockefeller this past week because I invited her to speak on a webinar I’m hosting in honor of Fashion Revolution Week. The virtual event will spread awareness and educate the Auburn community on the issue of sustainability. She responded to me the same day! Unfortunately, she is unavailable, but she said she would get me a list of names to reach out to who may want to participate! I was honored and thrilled to receive a response, and I hope I get to work with her in the future.
Here is a list of five helpful tips I live by when emailing!
1. Introduce yourself: How and when did you connect? How did you get their email?
Always start out by introducing yourself with your name and your current occupation or say that you are a student at a specific college and why you are emailing them. As I said above in the story about how I connected with Ms. Rockefeller, I got her email from her LinkedIn profile. Not everyone makes it visible to their connections or followers, but always check. If that is where you found their email address, then that is what you should tell them! If you had an in-person encounter, met them on a Zoom, or watched them on a webinar, say that! Any detail that will make them remember the specific event is a must-mention! Lastly, mention when you connected with them; I just list the month and year! It will say under their contact information on their profile.
2. What did you talk about with them? What are you going to say that will catch their eye or get them to remember you?
As I said above, did you meet on Zoom, in-person, or did you watch them speak on a webinar or in-person event? Did you ask them a question or comment on something they mentioned? If so, mention that. Always provide a short summary of your encounter with them and reiterate what you may have said to them before in a direct message or LinkedIn invitation. They get tons of emails, so you have to bring up relevant specifics that will make you stand out in a good way!
3. Do not give your entire Life story or summarize your resume or CV
Whether you are emailing someone that works at the company, the CEO, or recruiter, an email is not the place to restate your resume and entire life story. People hate reading long emails. They do not have time and they will delete it or skip over it and forget. Get to the point in your first line. As I said above, state who you are, why you are emailing them, and how you got their email/connected. Do not be repetitive or add “fluff”; you are not writing a cover letter, just a short email. However, most emails I write are two paragraphs max, but they are not long paragraphs and I like to put spaces in between important lines/paragraphs to make it easier to read. For example, the email I sent out to invite speakers to my webinar was a little long, but I had to provide specific details about Fashion Revolution, my role with them, and when/where this event will be held. I did not go into depth on my role because it is on my resume which is visible on my LinkedIn profile.
4. Attach CV or Resume only if it’s relevant and necessary.
If you are emailing someone about an internship or job opportunity, upload your resume or CV to their website so they can view it. I would most always attach a resume if someone you know gave you an email address to get you acquainted with someone in the company they know. You should introduce yourself, mention your mutual connection, and lastly attach your resume and say what kind of job/ internship opportunity you are looking for. If you are emailing a recruiter to follow up on the status of an application you sent in where you attached your resume, there is no need to send it to them again.
5. Have a professional signature
Lastly, and the second-most important thing behind how you begin your email, is the signature. Your name should be in the biggest font with your major listed below, then your college, the name of your specific college within the university, and your current job title or leadership position on or off campus. Finally, I have my phone number and email address with the link to my LinkedIn profile. I use a creative, but legible font, and I would suggest making it all one color. I always end my emails in “Best Regards”, “Best” or “Thank you”.
See image below of my current signature:
Overall, do not overthink writing an email. We all have different personalities and write differently. I would not use language you would not normally use because often it causes the email to not flow well. Read it aloud to yourself before you press send. I double check my spelling and grammar and also include a specific, eye-catching subject line. Make sure you spell people’s names right and are addressing them properly. Be respectful, patient, and do not keep constantly emailing if they are not responding. Sometimes you will not receive a reply and it’s unfortunate, but if you keep annoying the CEO or recruiter, that is not going to help you. Keep in mind, people may take a few days or weeks to get back to you so patience is key. In the meantime, make sure you are following the company on social media and triple check your social media to make sure it is clean and appropriate. Lastly, always send a thank you email after an interview or after someone at a company takes time out of their day to speak with you! Develop your relationships and grow your network! I will end by saying this: if there is one thing I have learned so far about application processes and waiting for email replies, patience is key.
