Do you know someone that is looking for a job? Of course, you do! How do I know that? I know that because you get the same emails that I do that say, in so many words, the economy sucks, you know who’s hiring? If you do, send them my resume because its attached. Chances are you received these types of emails from family members, friends and people whom you have no idea where they came from. Am I right?
Well, if you know someone who has tried this method of prospecting the hidden job market and did not get anywhere, maybe it was due to their approach. I do not want to bash anyone, but some people do not make it easy for me to help them. I mean, my heart goes out to anybody who is looking for work. But, dude, again, make it easy on me. Three sentences and a resume are not doing it for me. May I offer a suggestion? Check out a request for assistance that was forwarded to me recently.
(1) Jim,
(2) First and foremost, I must THANK YOU for being an instrumental and valuable connection for my personal and professional growth here in Atlanta! Just knowing you is inspiring to the success I’m trying to build for myself and constantly reminds me to work harder and push further toward my next level… and that “next level” is exactly why I’m reaching out to you today. (3) By the way, I remember your being a fan of the TV show “24.” You might find this article interesting: “Kiefer Sutherland is happy to return as Jack in a 24 revival, but he has a bolder idea.” I hope it makes you smile.
(4) As you know, I am currently a producer/programming assistant at [ censored ] in Atlanta, [ censored ]. I’ve enjoyed my experience there; however, it is not currently yielding desired growth or opportunities for career progression, nor does it provide what I need to take care of financial responsibilities. Thus, I have found it very necessary to pursue full-time opportunities that will help me achieve these desires.
(5) I NEED YOUR HELP!
In effort to maximize my chances at obtaining gainful employment, I’m enlisting your help, in hopes that you can reach out to your contacts who you believe will benefit greatly from my skills and experience. (6) I specialize and can perform within the following business, education or media related areas and titles:
- Radio/TV Broadcasting – Show Producer, Associate Producer, Programming Assistant, Web Content Producer, Assignment Editor, Program Coordinator, Assistant Program Director, Production Coordinator/Manager
- Public/Media Relations – Public Relations Coordinator/Specialist, Media Relations Liaison, Community Relations Coordinator/Manager
- Writing – Writer, Editor, Editorial Assistant, Proofreader, Copywriter, Scriptwriter, Script Supervisor
- Business/Marketing/Event Planning – Marketing Communications Coordinator, Event Coordinator, Special Events Coordinator, Manager, Supervisor
- Education – Teacher, Substitute, Administrative Assistant, Trainer, Paraprofessional
- Administrative Positions – Customer Service Manager/Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Office Manager, Administrative Assistant
Once again, I ask that you forward my resume to your contacts that need someone like me, or if you come across opportunities that require online applications, (7) just shoot me an email and/or the requisition #s and I will complete the process J. Also, I can provide excellent references and tailored cover letters whenever necessary.
(8) TARGETED COMPANIES: Turner Broadcasting, Time Warner, BET, TV-One, WXIA-TV, WATL-TV, WGCL-TV, WSB-TV, WAGA-TV, WUPA/CW-69, Tyler Perry Studios, GA Public Broadcasting, School Systems (APS, Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb), Colleges/Universities, Federal Government, Non-Profits, etc…
(9) WITH REGARD TO LOCATION – I desire to stay in the Atlanta area, but I am open to opportunities in the DMV (DC/MD/VA) area. Wherever the right opportunity is, that’s where I want to be.
(10) WITH REGARD TO PAY –My desired pay is $40K or above. I am open to reasonable negotiations within that immediate range. I desire a full-time, salaried position with full benefits and the possibility of 401K/stock options… this is non-negotiable and are the only opportunities I can/will consider at this time.
(11) WHAT I’M NOT LOOKING FOR – As stated above, I am only considering full-time opportunities that can guarantee salary and benefits. I will not consider any multi-level marketing, commission based cold calling, or initial work for start-up companies. Freelancing work for individual or start-up companies is possible, but I will only pursue those opportunities AFTER full-time work has been secured.
(12) I hope my requests don’t come off as asking for too much, or as being too picky because I’m not. I’m a dedicated, hard-working woman and at this particular point in my life, I have to be authentic in my worth. Hands down, what I bring to the table through skill, experience and instinctive talent is worthy of investment… and anyone I’ve worked with, or for, can attest to that.
(13) I know that you have a very busy schedule, and from the depths of me, I THANK YOU for ANY assistance that you can provide. I’ve sown so many seeds since being here in Atlanta and I look forward to reaping the HARVEST of a rewarding opportunity…thanks for helping me take this step in enjoying just that!
.
Warm regards,
.
[ censored ] (14) Writer | Producer | Multi Media Professional
(15) Facebook | Linkedin | Twitter | Blog
This is cool. This is why.
Why is this a cool prospecting letter? These are my notes:
- (1) Although this person has (probably) sent this same email to several of her contacts, they took the time to personalize it. Or at the least, used a program that does it for them. (Smile)
- (2) They start off giving me warm and fuzzy feelings. That’s a good thing because if I feel good about them, I will more than likely remember them later.
- (3) We actually know each other and they gave me information that I actually have an interest in. (Who doesn’t love Jack Bauer?)
- (4) Thank you for reminding me of who you are. I don’t have the best memory.
- (5) Keeping it real. I can appreciate that. I feel good about you and now I can (hopefully/maybe) be of help to them.
- (6) Bullet points make it easier on me to pigeonhole you.
- (7) All I have to do is send you a lead and you will follow through? Cool. Thank you for not asking me to connect you to my closest connections when I barely remember you.
- (8) Very nice. It saves us both time when we both know what you want.
- (9) Very nice. It saves us both time when we both know what you want.
- (10) Very nice. It saves us both time when we both know what you want.
- (11) Very nice. It saves us both time when we both know what you want.
- (12) Honesty is always appreciated.
- (13) Ending the request on a positive note is also good.
- (14) Thanks again for pointing out your preferred job titles. Again, I don’t have the best memory.
- (15) Oh cool, you are on Twitter and LinkedIn. I will connect with you that way as well.
- I really like this approach but, I think it comes off as spam if you send it to people to whom you have no relationship with. So, I STRONGLY urge you to send it only to people who know you and will look out for you. Otherwise, you might get labeled a spammer and your future emails may not be delivered. Make sense?
Take this strategy to the next level
As great as I think this strategy is, I think it can be taken to an even higher level of use. Consider these steps…
- In addition to this email, create a blog post on LinkedIn listing the details. (For inspiration, look at what I did here. Its a variation of this idea but still works.)
- Send the post to your LinkedIn contacts and ask them to like and/or share the article (to give it an algorithmic boost).
- Ask people to tag others in the comments who may have an interest in your skillset.
- Reach out to people who have been tagged in the comments and let them know you are reaching out based on the recommendation of whomever tagged them on your article.
Now let’s take it even higher.
Asking everyone you know for job search assistance can be beneficial. Yet even the willing can’t be of much help if they are in a struggling industry. The remedy for that is to research which industries are booming and then soliciting help from people in those verticals. They will be in a better position to help you. Question is, how do you find the right industries to pursue? Try this search. It will return search results to market research on investment opportunities. If that is where the money is, chances are the jobs will be there too.
Follow the money!
Another way to find growth markets is review government data. Your tax dollars paid for it, so why not use it? The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published, “Industry and occupational employment projections overview and highlights, 2022–32.” Here is some of what they have predicted.
- The healthcare and social assistance sector and the management of companies and enterprises sector are projected to experience the fastest employment growth between 2022 and 2032. The aging population and growing prevalence of chronic conditions are the main drivers of the strong projected job growth for the healthcare and social assistance sector.
- The healthcare and social assistance sector is projected to account for the most new jobs, 2.1 million out of the 4.7 million total (or 45 percent) of all new jobs. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector will account for another 21 percent of all new jobs; the employment growth of this sector is largely driven by the growing demand for information technology (IT) products and services.
- The growth of the digital economy is expected to support solid job growth across the information and transportation and warehousing sectors, both of which rank among the top five fastest growing sectors. At the same time, the continued growth of e-commerce is expected to constrain retail trade employment, which is the sector projected to lose the most jobs over the 2022–32 decade.
Another resource worth your time is intellizence. Among other things, they track the latest business expansion announcements. Again, follow the money. A few examples…
- The Adani Group plans to invest $100 billion in green energy transition over 10 years.
- Oracle plans to build 100 new data centers to meet billions of dollars in demand.
- McDonald’s plans to open 10,000 new restaurants worldwide by 2027 in what could be the fast-food giant’s fastest period of growth in its history.
My heart goes out to all the recruiters and sourcers in the community looking for new opportunities. I especially have sympathy for those who have been looking for work for an extended period of time. While I do not have any leads or jobs to offer, I do hope these tips prove useful.
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