What to email recruiters

How to write effective cold emails

Read Time: 5 min

Hi networkers,

Lately, I’ve been getting asked this quite frequently:

“Hey, Michael! I managed to get the contact of this recruiter, but what exactly do I say?”

To answer that question, I’ll show you the email I wrote that landed my 1st internship.

Oh, and to those who celebrate it, happy late Chinese New Year!

Fun fact, some families (including mine) don’t do any cleaning on the day of CNY because it’s considered bad luck!

🏁 Here’s the route for this week’s run:

🎙️ What to Email Recruiters?

💡 Become Genuinely Interested

🎨 Weekly AI Images

📍 Go-To Networking Events

TOPIC
What Email Recruiters?

When I was looking for my 1st internship, I applied to over 100 postings within 4 months.

The results? Nothing except one interview with RBC (which I flopped).

However, things changed when I sent this email:

Hello,

I hope this email finds you well, my name is Michael Ly and we connected on LinkedIn yesterday. I noticed on your profile that you’ve worked in diverse fields from being a news reporter and dance choreographer to now a Scotiabank recruiter.

As someone looking to land a role in their field of interest, can you share any insights on how I could pursue my curiosities such as you did?

For a bit of background, I’m a 3rd-year Finance student looking for a summer 2022 internship and would love to learn more about Scotiabank’s culture. Thank you and have a great day!

Regards,

Michael Ly

The email has 3 blocks of text, so we’ll go over them 1 by 1.

Block #1

Recruiters only look at resumes for about 6-8 seconds. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t do the same for emails, that’s why I treat block #1 as my hook.

But how do I get their attention? Again, referring to this quote:

Don’t be interesting, be interested

Make the beginning about them. Spotlight something you found interesting on their LinkedIn profile like I did.

But remember, this is only effective if you’re genuinely curious.

Block #2

This is the “transition” - the part of the email where I connect their experience to what I’m looking for with a really good question.

How do I know my question is good enough? I ask myself 3 things:

  • did I mention the recruiter’s unique experiences?

  • did I mention what I was searching for?

  • did I make sure points 1 and 2 were related?

Block #3

To end the email, I provide a brief summary of who I am and why I’m contacting them.

Don’t be afraid to be bold. Make sure to always end off with a call to action, ask for that coffee chat, and even suggest a time!

Conclusion

And that’s about it! Whenever I email recruiters, I follow this exact 3-block format. It keeps things simple and has worked best for me.

Actionable Steps

Whether it’s a LinkedIn message or an email, reach out to 1 or more recruiters this week using the strategy above!

Until next time, stay interested! 🧐

-Michael Ly

TIP/TOOL OF THE WEEK
Become Genuinely Interested

Staying on the theme of this article. We have a tip of the week!

It’s by Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People. 

If you want others to like you, if you want to develop real friendships, if you want to help others at the same time as you help yourself, keep this principle in mind: Become genuinely interested in other people.

Dale Carnegie

Go-To Networking Events
📍Checkpoints📍 

TTI Canada - Open House

  • Time: Feb 15, 1:00 - 2:00 pm EST (Online)

  • Detail: Discover some of the exciting roles we will fully inform you on for a potential fit come graduation or as a summer internship/co-op!

  • Register here 

PepsiCo Beverages Summer Roles:

  • Detail: PepsiCo Beverages is actively seeking Summer Supply Chain and Sales Co-ops students, as well as New Graduates to join their team!

  • Click here for available roles

Loblaw Early Talent Summit

  • Time: Feb 20, 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST (In-person)

  • Location: 1 Presidents Choice Circle, Brampton, ON

  • Detail: Teams/roles that will be highlighted at the event: Finance, Category Management, Retail Merchandising, Loblaw Real Estate, Procurement, Operations, and Marketing.

  • Register here 

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