Opening The Line Of Communication
Scenario 1: You just met a practitioner in your field who works at a company that’s hiring.
Scenario 2: Your best friend introduces you to her friend over email. Your friend says you and her friend should meet for coffee but doesn’t specify why.
Scenario 3: You have a cousin who only knows you in the context of big family dinners, but he happens to work at a big company. You’ve never before spoken to him about work stuff.
Scenario 4: After finding a job posting at your dream company, you do some research and locate the contact info of the recruiter for the role. You do not know this person, and have no mutual connections.
What you ultimately want out of the above situations is a referral, a connection to an internal recruiter at a company, or other job-related favor. But you can’t just dive in and ask for that.
In this lesson we are going to show you how to open the line of communication which is the first step in starting a relationship to get you there. We’ll specifically talk about emails and what makes them effective, with examples of both good and bad ones.
What Makes an Effective Email
The goal is to catch the person’s attention, and make it easy for them to respond to you. Remember, the person you’re reaching out to may get lots of emails every day. You must give the recipient a reason to want to meet with you or connect on the phone. This means your email should be succinct, demonstrate your interest in them/their company, have one ask, and be respectful of their time.
If possible, you should try to make a personal connection between you and the recipient. Maybe you met at a meetup a few days before. Maybe you both grew up outside of Philadelphia. Or perhaps you both love Yoga. Or you’re related. Finding a mutual connection/interest to reference may mean you have to go out of your way to do some background research. However, that kind of personal touch will help you stand out in a sea of emails.
Below are the key components of what makes a great email. You can use this as a checklist every time you send out a message asking for a phone chat or meeting.
The email is friendly in nature
Your message is custom to the recipient (it’s not a copy and paste template)
You clearly state who you are
The email clarifies why you’re reaching out
You display interest in their industry, job, project, or company (no need to go overboard, but give a solid reason why you’re interested)
There is a specific ask (phone call or meeting in-person)
You thank them (be appreciative of them taking the time to read your message!)
Networking Email Subject Lines
Subject lines are one of the first things a recipient sees when an email arrives in their inbox, and it’s often the basis for deciding whether or not to read the message – especially when it’s from someone the recipient doesn’t know. Writing good subject lines is a key part of email networking success.
A good subject line is like an eye-catching headline – the more intriguing it is, the more likely it is to garner a glance. One way to make a subject line stand out is to mention something that is relevant and that matters to that person. This can be the name of someone you know in common, an alma mater, or a shared interest.
Good Networking Email Subject Lines
Below are a few examples of engaging subject lines for a variety of networking outreach email types you will send during your job search.
Greetings From a Fellow [name of shared university] Alum
[Title of their blog post] Fan Asking for Advice
Quick Question About [name of their company or project]
[Name of shared connection] Suggested I Reach Out
Referred by [name of shared contact]
Poor Networking Email Subject Lines
Subject lines that mention something specific stand out, but vague ones often look like spam or come across as thoughtless and are more likely to be ignored. These are less strong examples that are less likely to receive a reply:
Hey! [inappropriate for any professional email]
Reaching Out About Job Openings
Newbie Seeking Advice
Informational Interview Setup
What to Expect
Keep in mind that even with excellent subject lines, typically only 10 percent of cold emails result in a reply. This is not because people are uninterested or don’t believe you provide value, but because most professionals struggle with overfilled inboxes and some emails slip through the cracks even when there’s a sincere intent to reply. Your Career Coach can help you craft emails and subject lines that increase the percentage of replies you receive as you continue to develop this skill set.
Good Networking Email Examples
Below is an example of a good email:
Subject: Quick Question About Company X
Hi Katie,
I recently graduated from The Flatiron School's [Your program of study] program. I'm very intrigued by Company X. It’s astonishing how you are able to measure 7 billion daily interactions across all the social platforms.
It looks like you’re mainly recruiting for senior-level [positions] right now, so I was curious as to whether perhaps a more junior role might be coming up in the future, or even an internship. Might you have just a few minutes next week to talk about what it’s like to work at Company X?
Attached is a link to my online portfolio.
Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon!
Vanessa
This message clearly states who the sender is, why they’re contacting the recipient, displays their interest in the company, has one specific ask, and even includes a link to their portfolio.
Here’s another good example:
Subject: Great Meeting You at [Event Name]!
Hi Jason,
It was great to meet you at the [Event Name] meetup last night. Thank you for your enthusiasm for my karaoke app — I had a great time talking with you about your dream music apps.
I'm in school through the end of next week, but would love to meet and talk sometime soon. Do you have any time late next week? I'd love to hear what you are most excited about regarding the future of Company X, and to get your perspective on what it’s like to work at such a fast growing company.
Looking forward to speaking more!
Vanessa
This message reminds the recipient of who they are, references a specific part of the conversation they shared, has a clear ask (with a suggested timeframe), and it reiterates interest in the recipient's company.
Bad Networking Email Examples
Below is an example of a bad email:
Subject: Hey Jason!
Jason,
I enjoyed speaking with you at the meet up yesterday. I'd love to find out more about your team and to tell you more about myself.
Please let me know if you have time to meet/talk sometime.
Thanks
Cynthia
Unlike the good message examples above, this one is lacking. First, the subject line is too informal and gives no explanation of why Cynthia is emailing Jason. Next, the email doesn’t clearly state who the sender is. In other words, how can Jason remember who exactly Cynthia was from an event with likely many people? Cynthia also lists just her first name (if Jason wanted to look Cynthia up on LinkedIn, it would be near to impossible to find her with just a first name and nothing else). This email also doesn’t display interest. And while it does have an ask, it’s not very specific. Overall, the message looks like the sender didn’t give it much thought.
Here is another ineffective email example:
Subject: [None]
Hello. My name is Sarah Dressler.
I looked through the information on your website and am very interested in your internship program. I noticed the 2016 [Job Title] posting on your job website which also peaked my interest. Is this related to the training program?
I would be interested to meet with you at some point if your interested.
Thank you
Cynthia
This email has a few problems. First, there is no subject line or recipient at all. Next, Sarah does not clearly say who she is [is she a student, working professional, or neither?]. The other issue is that the main “ask” is about a training program—not about meeting/speaking. Then Sarah closes the email by casually suggesting to meet in person. There are also glaring grammatical errors and inappropriate punctuation. Overall, this message fails to give the recipient a reason to want to connect with the sender.
Approaching People You Know Versus People You Don't Know
Before sending your email, hopefully you’ve already spoken to the person—in-person or online. If the recipient already knows who you are, it makes asking for their time much easier and increases the likelihood that they’ll say “yes”.
However, cold emails can still be effective. If you’re sending a cold outreach email, here are a few additional things to keep in mind:
The person is targeted - For instance, they work at the company you’d like to work for. Maybe they even work in HR at the company you’d like to work for. Basically, it’s not just some random person you found on Twitter.
Why you’re reaching out - You give a good reason as to why you’re reaching out to them.
Try to make it personal - When reaching out cold, finding a connection point is what can make you stand out from the rest. Like, “We’re both friends with so and so” or “We’ve both worked at X company in the past” or “We both have given talks at the X Meetup”.
You’re relevant - If you’re reaching out regarding a specific opening, make sure it’s one you’re qualified for. Otherwise, you’ll lose credibility.
Following Up After a Networking Email (After No Response)
If you send an email and the person doesn’t respond, it’s a good idea to follow up 5 business days (seven calendar days) later. Don’t take a lack of response personally or assume the person doesn’t want to talk to you. Most of the time, nothing could be further from the truth! Working professionals are incredibly busy, and their inboxes are usually filled to the brim. Perhaps they didn’t see your email the first time, they genuinely forgot about it, or they were away on vacation. These are just a few of the many possible reasons why they didn’t respond. In turn, a follow-up email is a must.
What an Effective Networking Email Follow Up Communicates
Each follow up you send should be compelling, courteous, make a specific ‘ask’, and communicate the following:
You are genuinely interested in getting to know them
You look up to them as a role model/subject matter expert
You are serious about a career path in your field of study
You are a responsible, proactive, passionate individual
You are worth engaging with
Value [indicate that you’d like to be helpful to them as well]
An ‘ask’ [what is the purpose of your email? what are you asking for?]
(All powerful things in your favor!)
Follow Up Taboos
As mentioned above, do not take a lack of response personally, or allow your emotions or feelings of anger, annoyance, etc. to infiltrate your thoughts or worse, your follow up communications themselves. There is no place for this in your vocabulary as a professional who is worth knowing. Do not use language that expresses presumptuousness, sarcasm, scolding, or bitterness because someone did not respond; doing so indicates extreme immaturity. Instead, your follow ups should always be engaging, kind, courteous, and respectful.
Follow Up Subject Lines
The subject line of your follow up is just as critical as the subject line of your original email. As we’ve mentioned above, since working professionals are incredibly busy, they may have genuinely missed seeing your email the first time or forgotten about it. That’s why making it clear that your email is a follow up to a previous email is so important; this lets the recipient know that you’ve tried contacting them before about something that you consider to be important to engage with them about.
Sometimes all it takes is a follow up to elicit a response. In turn, make your subject line similar to your original email subject line (so they can recognize it), with additional ‘follow up’ languaging, keeping it concise and to the point.
GOOD FOLLOW UP SUBJECT LINE EXAMPLES
Here are some examples of appropriate subject lines for networking follow up emails:
Follow Up: Boston Flatiron Grad Looking to Connect
Follow Up: [Name of their blog post or project] Fan Asking for Advice
Follow Up: [Name of shared connection] Suggested I Reach Out
Follow Up: Referred by [name of shared contact]
Bad Follow Up Subject Line Examples
As mentioned above, do not take a lack of response personally or allow it to infiltrate your thoughts and/or your follow up communications. Since the subject line is often the very first thing the recipient sees, yours should always be relevant, engaging, concise, to the point, and most of all...professional.
Here are some examples of poor subject lines for networking follow up emails that come off at first glance as vague, whiny, and presumptuous.
Will you please reply back to me?
Follow Up: Second time trying to reach you
Sam Jones here, following up again
Good Networking Email Follow Up Examples
In this example Dave starts off with a nice pleasantry greeting, and instantly states why he is emailing Sue (again). He then ‘connects the dots’ between what they have in common, helping further ‘break the ice’ and build commonality/a reason to connect. This example also express enthusiasm and curiosity, is congratulatory, and offers to give value (treating Sue to coffee, and sharing information on local tech events) in addition to asking (for a coffee chat).
Subject: Follow Up: Seattle Flatiron Grad Looking to Connect
Dear Sue,
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I'm reaching out to follow up on my email from January 8th regarding potentially meeting for a coffee chat. Being a fellow bootcamp grad and [field of study] enthusiast who relocated to Seattle from Vancouver, I’m eager to learn about what local strategies or resources you found helpful in making the transition to your role at [Company]; Congrats, by the way!
Having recently started exploring the Seattle [your field of study] scene, I’ve started compiling a list of must-attend events and seminars that I’d be happy to share, if they could be helpful to you in any way. I also think it’s fascinating that you’re now working at [Company], and I’m curious to learn what it’s like to work there and the cool types of things you’re building.
Would a brief meeting be possible over coffee (my treat)? I’m available weekdays after 5pm. Thanks very much for your time!
Sincerely,
Dave Turner, Flatiron School 2017 [insert an esignature with your phone number, and links to your GitHub, blog, LinkedIn, and portfolio/website]
In this example Samantha states her reason for following up with Ms. Adams (an HR person at a company Samantha plans to apply to). She then concisely highlights specific examples of why she is a potential fit for the role and how it can benefit the company, before making her ‘ask’ (a brief conversation) and providing her availability. All in all, courteous, specific and value-driven.
Subject: Follow-Up: [Job Title] Position
Dear Ms. Adams,
I hope this email finds you well. My name is Samantha Weber and I am following up on my email to you from March 19th regarding [Company’s] [Job Title] position.
Having recently graduated from the Flatiron School’s [your program of study] program, I have strong skills in [your technical skill set]. In addition to having built a variety of dynamic [apps/projects] in these technologies, I also have three years of client-facing experience as Account Manager at [Company], enabling me to seamlessly build strong relationships and ensure service excellence with [Company’s] internal business clients.
Would you have some brief time to chat further (via phone or virtually) about my background, and how I can add immediate value to your company? I can make myself available at a time that is convenient for you.
Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to you reply.
Sincerely, Samantha Weber [insert an esignature with your phone number, and links to your GitHub, blog, LinkedIn, and portfolio/website]
Bad Networking Email Follow Up Examples
Let’s take the two good follow up example above and show how they should NOT be written.
In this example Dave starts off too informally and vague in his subject line, too informally with “Hey” in the body, and starts complaining right away that he hasn’t heard from Sue. Then he starts asking her for things, but shows no appreciation and makes no ‘give’/offer of value to her in return. Furthermore, the closing lacks common courtesy, as well as his full name and contact details.
Subject: Hey there, following up
Hey Sue,
It’s Dave Turner here. I'm surprised I haven’t heard from you since emailing you on January 8th, especially given that we are both bootcamp grads in Seattle.
I want to know more about what strategies or resources you found helpful in getting your new job at [Company] and also what it’s like to work there.
Won’t you meet me for coffee? I’m available weekdays after 5pm.
Thanks, Dave
In this example, Samantha does not make it clear who she is or why she is reaching out again to Ms. Adams. She also makes no mention of what position she is emailing about, or that she’s emailing about a position at all. The email is vague, whiny, and presumptuous, and lacks courtesy, eloquence, value, and professionalism in general.
Subject: Haven’t heard back from you still
Dear Ms. Adams,
I’m not sure why you never responded to my email. Having recently graduated from the Flatiron School’s [your program of study] program, you should really want to talk to me. I have lots of experience that this role requires.
Can we chat, please?
Thank you. Samantha
If you don’t get a response to a networking outreach email, follow up within 5 business days days at the latest. Each follow-up you send should be compelling, courteous, and make a specific ‘ask’. In other words, make it easy for the other person to understand why you want to connect with them, and make them want to connect with you (be kind, respectful, engaging, and give value). Don’t take a lack of response personally or shoot back with rude or disrespectful messaging. You only get one first impression with each person, and this is your career, after all.
Work with your Career Coach to craft effective follow ups (they are an expert in this!). If you still don’t get a response after two emails, move on.
Great! Now You Have a Meeting
Sending out emails that receive responses can take some trial and error. Even if you follow all the suggestions to a T, not everyone will agree to grab a coffee, or even respond to your message. Remember, it’s like a sales funnel. And out of all the people you contact, only a certain percentage will say “yes”. (Which is why it’s important to reach out to as many people as possible!)
However, for those who do say “yes”, you just landed yourself an informal meeting. And the forthcoming Interviewing unit will discuss what you must do before, during, and after the meeting.
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