Once you have created a list of your personal contacts, your next step is to contact them by email using your Personal Contact Cover Letter and resume. Set a goal for how many letters you will send daily or weekly. For example, start by sending our five emails and following up with these five people by phone in a few days. Here are the steps for your follow-up phone calls:
Introduce yourself and explain why you are calling.
“Hi, Jackie! This is Jane Morgan. (Small talk…) Do you have a few minutes to talk? Did you receive my email and resume? (If she didn’t offer to send it again.) My job is ending next spring when my company moves out of state. I am looking for a job as a graphic artist for a non-profit agency.”
OR
“Good morning. My name is Jane Morgan. John Jacobs suggested I call you as I’m interested in finding a job as a graphic artist. Would you have a few minutes to talk to me?”
Briefly tell your contact about yourself. (This is where you can use parts of your Strength Summary.)
“I’ve had two years’ experience designing and using desktop publishing software to produce brochures, newsletters, and training materials as a part of my current job. I’ve enjoyed it and would like to move into doing graphics arts full-time.”
Request information and advice. Sample information areas include:
Employment opportunities in the field. (“Are you aware of any current opening for someone with my skills and experience?”)
Individuals the person recommends you contact. (“Do you know of anyone who works in this field?” and “Could you recommend anyone who might know of such an opening? May I tell them you referred me?”) Note: Ensure you get the name (with correct spelling), title, email, address, and phone number whenever you’re provided with a new contact.
If you are talking to someone having difficulty coming up with any information for you, you can always ask a question that usually will get a “Yes!”: (“I’m trying to develop my network of people who could give me advice. Can you refer me to someone you know who knows a lot of people?”) If the person you are talking with can’t give you the name of anyone else to talk to, it is time to move on.
Send a brief thank-you email or note to each person you have contacted as soon as possible.
Your thank-you email or note might say, “Thank you so much for your advice and referrals. Should you think of other people or organizations I should follow up with, please email me at ___________ or call/text me at ________________.”
A thank you note is a wonderful way to thank them for their time, giving them another opportunity to think about how they can help you. Also, if you send a written thank you note, you will make an impression, as people rarely get written thank you notes.
Summary
Remember that a job search is a search for information. The more information you get, the more likely you will find out about job openings. You may go through several contacts before you get some helpful information. For example, Bill refers you to Jane, who refers you to Dave, and Dave ends up being the contact with information that leads to learning about a job opening that would be an excellent fit for you. Be persistent– this strategy is a powerful way to tap into the unadvertised “hidden” job market!
Next Steps
The Direct Employer Contact Letter is the last of the “big six” job search marketing tools. When you are ready, this is a challenging but effective way to find jobs in the hidden job market. We provide you with a step-by-step guide for using this strategy successfully.