Top Job Search Cold Email Templates
We recently did a piece on cover letter templates. Those are a great starting point when you don’t have anything but the job listing to go on.
Sometimes though you have more, like the recruiter or hiring manager’s contact information. Often, this info can be found in the job posting. It might say something like “Helping the VP of Marketing…”. With that information you can go to LinkedIn and look up just who the heck the VP of Marketing is and reach out to them directly. This is often much more effective than simply sending in a resume and cover letter by themselves.
Here’s a few cold job search email templates you can use to reach out.
Template #1: Getting background on the job
Bob,
I recently saw the marketing manager position and it looks like it might be a good fit! I have actually been using Acme’s service for some time now, so I know (and love!) the service, and am pretty familiar with it. I do have a couple questions about the role in particular though:
- The posting says it will be supporting Acme’s “growth initiatives”. In what capacity? Will this role be directly responsible for leading them?
- Will the outreach be primarily digital, or will there be other avenues of outreach as well?
I know I would be a great fit for the position, and I’d love to talk further about it. Do you have time on Nov 23, 2020 to chat?
John
Key points
- Ask specific questions that show you read the job posting, and have the background to ask intelligent questions.
- If you know the brand/product/service, say so.
- It never hurts to ask for a talk - they might say no, but you might also get a chance to get the decision maker on the phone and stand out while everyone else is just submitting their resume.
Template #2: Ask a specific question
This is a second great approach. It’s another, valid, reason to reach out and make contact. Similar to the first example, it also shows you have enough knowledge to ask an intelligent question and the initiative to do so, which puts you ahead of 90% of the applicants.
As a general rule, asking good questions that you couldn’t possibly know how to ask unless you had some background or had done some research is a great way to show you know something about the subject without directly saying so.
My name is Sandra, and I recently saw the sales manager position posted for Hole In a Wall. I frickin LOVE Hole in Wall! The latest ad campaign playing off the old Looney Toons cartoons is just flat brilliant, whoever thought that one up deserves a raise.
I did have a question about the makeup of the sales team this position would be leading. I imagine like most SaaS companies, there is some mix of inbound and outbound sales. I’m curious where the emphasis would be over the next 12-24 months? Y’alls marketing efforts are already stellar, so I imagine inbound is already taking care of itself, and the next frontier for growth would be outbound sales? If so, that would be a perfect fit as I have extensive experience setting up and scaling outbound teams.
I know I would be a great fit for the position, and I’d love to talk further about it. Do you have time on {formdate: MMMM DD, YYYY} to chat?
Sandra
Key points
- Show you know something about the industry and the company. Many applicants just mass spam, so one way you can stand out is showing your knowledge.
- Pro Tip: In this template, we used Text Blaze form commands to let us to enter the recipient's name and select a suggested date every time we use the snippet. Using a tool like Text Blaze can help save time and avoid mistakes.
Template #3: Follow-up after application
This is one you should virtually do every single time you can. (I can’t actually think of a time you can and shouldn’t). At worst, it will be ignored and at best it will put you at least a little in the mind of the hiring manager.
I recently applied for the Ops manager and I just wanted to follow-up. I am definitely interested. I have over a decade of Ops experience including over multiple industries, and have managed international teams. I am attaching my resume for reference, and I look forward to hearing from you.
JG
Key points
- Keep it short and sweet. They already have your resume, and they can look you up on LinkedIn.
- If you aren’t already on LinkedIn you absolutely should be.
- You are sending them your resume for reference because HR departments can take forever. You want to stand out without being obnoxious.
Bonus Template: Follow-up if no response
Oftentimes you won’t get a response to your first email; this is normal. Actually, in outbound sales, the research shows that you need 8 touch-points (calls and emails) to make a sale. So, it would make sense that it might take more than one email to get in touch with the hiring manager. One caveat - make sure you aren’t a pest and that you personalize it and again, make sure your personality comes across.
Something like this:
I recently applied for the Ops manager position, and since then my interest has only grown. I was doing some research, and I saw that y’all have recently won several awards for operational excellence. Very impressive! With my 10 years of Ops experience and 6-Sigma Black Belt, I definitely think I can help extend that success!
I definitely look forward to speaking with you further about this position.
Sandra
Key points
- Short. You have already expressed your interest once - no need to go on longer.
- Shows you have been researching the company and are truly interested.
- Gets in a brief mention about your qualifications.
- You also might want to add this via a forward instead of crafting a brand-new email.
Conclusion
Being direct and proactive, showing your personality and getting in front of the hiring manager can greatly increase your chances of success. The passive resume submitter will be at a distinct disadvantage!
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