How to perfect the lost art of the job-hunting email - Debut

How to perfect the lost art of the job-hunting email - Debut Email gets a bad rep these days. From disruptors like Slack trying to kill email dead and recruiters increasingly using tech and social channels to listen to the kids, bro, it seems that the ol job-hunting email doesnt have a place in this world. Brenda (our community manager) and I are pretty prime examples of that whole phenomenon, having got our jobs through Twitter and Facebook respectively. But is it really time to put a fork through email and just have recruiters Snap us instead (like this university did)? The answer is no. Like CVs, emails are an archaic but vital part of the job hunt. Youll have to send one to your potential recruiters at some point during the process. That said, here are some tips courtesy of careers author Jon Gregory to ensure you dont fall at that all-important first hurdle. Get the structure right Weve called this an art in the title but truthfully, its more of a science. It was never going to be as simple as bashing in some variation of erm yeah, I want a job. As Jon says, When you respond to a job ad, the company is trying to recruit a professional, so be that person. When youre putting together the meat  per se of the email remember to focus on two things. Why you want to work for this company rather than anyone else What you can do for them  that no-one else can Seems formulaic, but its more efficient to deal with a communication built around a predictable format and your potential employer will thank you. Theres still plenty of room to express yourself. And bear in mind, the person youre writing to doesnt know that you can fully grasp this. Show them you can be concise, yet informative, and youll immediately have their attention. Format on fleek As celebrated philosophers OutKast said in the year 2000, your job-hunting email needs to be so fresh and so clean format-wise. You can’t be sure what device, operating system and email client the recipient will be using, so complicated fonts and styles is an unnecessary risk. A good rule of thumb, according to Jon, is to format for easy reading on a mobile screen as it will cover all of your bases. And so we say unto you, Debutants: use white space, bullets and bold typeface to your benefit, just as you would on a CV. Correct punctuation, spelling and grammar, it goes without saying, is absolutely crucial too. Related: 11 email hacks for busy people that actually work Watch that tone Remember: no-one has to do anything for you, least of all reply to your email. The right wording and the proper addressing can do things for your application that your content cant. To get this right, its important to again air on the side of convention. You have no idea what the person on the end of your email is like. You have no idea what their pet hates or deal-breakers are. Its best to be cautious rather than take a risk and put your foot in it The advice Jon Gregory gives is If you imagine how nervous and conservative you’d be, meeting your prospective in-laws for the first time, you’ll be in the right frame of mind when drafting that door-opening email. So basically, be calm and courteous on the surface, with the fear of Gods furious wrath underneath it all. Nail your first (and last) impression Speaking of pet hates and deal-breakers, there are so many things that can go wrong on the way in or on the way out of a job-hunting email. Before you even get to the content, making sure your email address is set for the gruelling task. If youre using the old Bebo e-mail from your teens for formal business messages STOP. YOU ARE NOT READY. What potential employer wouldnt be terrified to receive an email from MCRmyvampire69@btinternet.com? While were still on intros, using Sir/Madam when you have the name of the person youre writing to? Not a good look. As for the sign off, stay away from abrupt or overly colloquial phrases like cheers or thoughts? if you like gainful employment. Make it yours       To make your brand bankable, you need to make yourself distinctive, genuine and interesting, advises Jon, and hes got a point. Crucially, email gives you the space to do that, unlike many social media and messaging apps. Express yourself as much as you can within the structure. When youre communicating all the information to an employer, dont be dry about it. Get as much personality in it as you can. What do you believe in? What are your goals and how do they apply to the company? Look to answer these questions to your job-hunting email and  dont be afraid to include links to work youve done and social media profiles. Those quirky things you include could make all the difference. Download the Debut app and connect with top graduate employers in an instant. Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter