Finding a job is no easy business, but it's easier when you know how to approach recruiters. In this guide, let's take a look at how to write an email asking for a job opportunity. We'll also walk you through the first few things you should do before sending out job inquiry emails.
4 Things to Do Before Writing a Job Inquiry Email
Before writing your job inquiry email, it's important to prepare. We'll guide you through the four essential steps you should take to ensure your email stands out.
1. Update Your Resume
The first thing an interested recruiter is going to ask you is your resume, so it's best to update it before you send out any job inquiry emails. You can add all the skills you learned, achievements you earned, and training you received since your last revision.
This is also a good time to revamp your resume entirely if the old one doesn't accurately represent your progress. Remember to quantify your skills and achievements, as numbers are easier to trust than vague, unquantifiable claims.
2. Refine Your Career Objectives
Your career objectives may have changed over the years, and you might be looking for a different role than the one you perform at your current job. In that case, you should consider writing down your new career objectives to get more clarity.
It's very likely this will be one of the questions your job interviewer will ask you if they liked your email and want to assess your goals and competence. Listing your career objectives helps you better understand why you want the new job.
3. List Down Your Non-Negotiables
Before sending out those emails, you need to decide how far you're willing to settle to get the job. Just like your career objectives, list your non-negotiables to better analyze whether a potential employer's offer is acceptable to you.
Choose your non-negotiables based on your household budget, your lifestyle, medical needs, the people dependent on you, and more. Alongside the base salary, remember to account for the benefits offered by each employer.
4. Research the Company
Instead of sending the same cookie-cutter email to every company, you can try making a better first impression by personalizing your emails by including something specific about the companies you apply to.
For instance, you can take a quick look at the company's blog, mission and vision statement, or About Us page. You can use the info you find from these sources to personalize your email and write about, say, how well the company's vision aligns with yours. Little things like this help ensure that you'll stand out from other job applicants.
Checklist for Writing Job Inquiry Emails
Now that you know what to do before sending out job inquiry emails, it's time to actually start writing those drafts. Refer to this 6-point checklist to make sure you don't miss anything out.
1. Write a Simple and Informative Subject Line
The subject line should be such that the intent of your email is immediately obvious; it shouldn't leave anything up for open interpretation. Something as simple as "Job Inquiry for Senior Designer | John Doe" works.
However, some experts say that this method is too old-fashioned and boring, and HRs can disregard your email simply because it doesn't spark any interest. In that case, you can take inspiration from one of these more captivating subject lines:
- "LinkedIn thinks I'm the best fit for your company."
- "Loved your Green Marketing campaign. Want to take it to the next level?"
- "If your website could talk, it would ask me to redesign it."
Be careful not to go overboard here. Your subject line should stay on topic without feeling too clickbait-y or immature. Also, if you're applying for a management position or similar, it's best not to risk it and just go with the safer, old-fashioned approach.
2. State Your Intention and How You Found the Company
Don't introduce yourself just yet. Instead, start by expressing why you're writing the email and mention how you found out about the company. This gives the reader more context and gives a better first impression. It also lets the reader know which recruitment channels are working for them.
3. Introduce Yourself and Ask for an Interview
Keep the introduction short and descriptive. The reader doesn't want to know everything about you, but only the bits necessary for them to know, such as your experience, where you graduated, and any notable achievements.
If the reader finds your profile interesting, they may call you up for an interview, where you can talk more about your career and relevant interests in greater depth. While you're at it, don't forget to request an interview with the reader to let them know when you're available to meet.
4. Inform About a Follow-Up and Share Your Contact Info
If you're planning to send a follow-up email to the reader later on, make sure you inform them of it now. Nobody likes receiving unsolicited emails, and if the reader knows you'll be sending another one soon if they don't reply, they may be more tempted to reply to you right away.
Make sure to include your contact details and LinkedIn handle, so the reader can easily get in touch with you in case they were persuaded by your email and want to talk more. While you're at it, remember to remove overused buzzwords from your LinkedIn profile to avoid seeming generic.
5. End the Email With Gratitude and a Formal Sign-Off
Thank the reader for their time and end the email with a formal sign-off. For example, you could end your email with "Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you." and sign off with "Sincerely," or "Best regards," followed by your name.
6. Proofread and Edit Your Email
It's better to proofread your email and spot any errors now than to spot it later after already having sent it. You can unsend accidental emails in Gmail, but why take the chance when you can avoid yourself the trouble?
Job Inquiry Email Examples
Example #1:
Example #2:
Find Your Dream Job With the Right Email
No one likes to read long emails, so try to make them as short as you can without taking up too much of the reader's time. Also, some people refrain from attaching their resume on the first cold email, while others recommend it. You can choose for yourself what you prefer to do.