A 5-Step Plan for Writing Cold Emails That Get Interviews

August 9, 2018

It might seem like sending emails to companies who’ve never heard of you before wouldn’t get you very far. But, cold emails can be more effective than you might think. It’s all about perfecting your message and making sure it gets to the right person at the right time.

An estimated 70 to 80 percent of jobs are never posted online. So, a company doesn’t have to advertise that they’re hiring for your email to be effective. There are a lot of opportunities out there. It takes some networking, digging and maybe a little optimism to pinpoint them.

Bottom line: you’re probably not going to hurt your chances of getting hired by reaching out, provided that you’re professional and courteous during the process. You might even land the job of your dreams.

1. Get Specifics and Use Them

Research is an essential part of any job-search process, whether you’re sending cold emails to corporate recruiters or sitting down for an interview with your potential new boss. Use what you’ve learned to include some attention-grabbing specifics in your email.

Do You Know What You're Worth?

Perhaps you’ve learned that the company recently went public, or that the individual you’re emailing recently published a book or an article. Be sure to include this information in your email. It will show that you’re very interested in the company, and that you’re the kind of person who takes pride in being prepared.

2. Create an elevator pitch

Keep your cold emails brief to increase the chances of them being read. But, be sure to really sell yourself. Take the time to say how much you’d love to work with them. Then, focus on what you can do to help the company. Emphasize the experience and passion you’d bring to the table. Finally, mention that you’d love to sit down to discuss this more, and be sure to direct their attention to your resume and cover letter, which you’ve attached.

3. Target the right person

Be sure to send your cold email to the right contact within the organization. Your message won’t go very far if you send it to the wrong person.

Don’t be tempted to cover your bases by sending your email to multiple people at one company. Find the best contact by researching the organization on their website and LinkedIn. Along the way, you’ll learn more about the organization, too.

4. Make no mistakes

To err is human, but mistakes on any kind of paperwork during your job search could cost you a valuable opportunity. So, be careful to avoid errors on your cover letters, your resume, and even the thank-you cards you send when you’re looking for a job.

The same rule applies to cold emails. Check everything over carefully for any spelling or grammatical errors before hitting send.

5. Follow up

Don’t expect to receive a response right away. But, if a full work week has gone by and you still haven’t heard back, don’t be afraid to send a follow-up email. Keep this contact short and to the point. Remind them that you’re still very interested in exploring any opportunities they have available and that you’d love to meet.

You never know: you could end up sitting down for an interview as a result of one of these cold contacts. It can help you extend your reach during the job-search process.