Firstly, when I work with someone to find a job, I want it to be a personal encounter, as personal as possible without my pretending to be a therapist.

If you find that pc work, emails & such give you what you want, I am not the person to say it doesn’t work—for you!

I just want to know what makes the person tick, give them as many resources as possible, including networking & then turn them loose! Be well & have fun! mjt

Perhaps we aren’t talking about the same thing here.

In my two most recent transitions, the best offer came as a result of networking. In both cases, I had spoken once with the person (who was in a distant city in one case, and a different continent in the other) and then kept in touch via email. In both cases, an email from my contact is what told me about the opportunity. Emails were not busy work – they were an integral part of my campaign. Not all of it, but an integral part.

What works is networking. You do it face to face when you can, by phone when that is the best way, via email when that is the best way for that person. It isn’t either/or. It’s both/and.

Kent

Your

The JIST card is a technique from JIST publishing. Google them. It is a 3×5 index card that you use to give or send to everyone you meet with all your data on it. Call it a mini-resume, but it is more effective as it tends NOT to be thrown out.

I have lots of other tips as well. Regards, mjt

E-mail is an acceptable way to communicate this stuff. Its easy for ME and its easy for YOU. Its convenient for you – you can ignore it, you can reply to it, or you can save it for later. And the same message that I send to a five star contact is appropriate for a 1 star contact, don’t you think?

AND … this is not the only recommended way, its one more tool/method to add to your strategy/execution.

Marilyn, I’d LOVE to know what your JIST card is.

No question, face to face is best. I don’t hide behind these emails. I use them in addition to my face to face networking and phone calls. Without the emails, though, fewer people would have me top of mind. Most of my network is outside my home city, and I can’t see everyone frequently. Emails and phone calls help keep the network warm.

Kent

Personal connecting with people who can help or hire, works best!
Mabe hiding behind e-mails works for you, but I like to see eyeballs, twitching, or any other facial & body language that tells me to leave or stay. Use a JIST card! Regards, Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A.
Certified Career & Job Transition Coach

I use this technique and find it works very well. I send out about 100 emails each week, and usually get ideas, advice, or introductions from at least ten people. When I am fully employed, I send emails out every few months, but when I am in transition, I step it up to monthly.

For the last few months, I have been using JibberJobber to help me manage the process. For each contact, I set up an action item for next month, reminding me to send my next email. JibberJobber sends me an email a couple of days before the due date. I can click in that email and it takes me to that person’s record in JibberJobber. From there, I can see what I wrote last time, and send an email directly.

It’s important to personalize the messages. At the very least, use that person’s name in the email. Beyond that, I usually look for something unique to say, or to ask about, with most of my contacts.

I try not to constantly “ask.” When I can find something I think the recipient will like, I attach it to the message. And depending on their situation, I will ask what I can do to help.

I don’t use mail merge. My ISP (Cox) and my firewall both frown on repetitive subject lines. And Iit just doesn’t feel personal enough to me – even if the recipient does not know, I do. Instead, I use a group of eight subject lines, each slightly different than the other, and send my messages in groups of eight.

Maria, What I do with folks who do not respond depends on who they are and how much I want to connect with them. Some of them I just forget – drop them off my list. Others, I just keep sending monthly updates. About 25 percent of the time, that will generate a response (“sorry I keep forgetting to get back to you…”). If I very much want to have a conversation, I’ll see if I can find someone else to help me get in the door.

Kent