In this chapter, you will learn:
– How to write a successful email to your potential employer
– What to include in your email and what not to include
## Who Are You Writing to?
The first step to writing a good email is to know your audience. Who are you writing to? What are they interested in? What do you want to say to them? How can you make them want to read your email? What are you trying to accomplish? What is your goal in writing this email? Who is your target audience? Who are the people you are sending this email to? Who do you think will be interested in what you have to say? Who will be able to help you achieve your goal? For example, if you are trying to get a job, you may want to send your email to the person who is in charge of hiring new employees. Or if you want a raise, you might want to write to your boss. What is the purpose of your email message? Is it to inform, to persuade, to sell, or to ask for something? What would you like to get out of your message? What information do you need in order to make a decision?
How will you know if your message is successful? What will you do if it is not successful? How do you know when your message has been received and understood by your audience? What actions have you taken as a result of the email you sent?
Have you ever sent an email to a potential employer? If so, what was the result? What did you learn from your experience?
Do you have any experience in writing emails to potential employers? What was your experience like? Did you get the job? If not, why not? What can you do to improve your chances of getting a job in the future? What advice would you give to someone who wants to send an email but doesn’t know how to write an effective email? How would you improve your email if you were writing it for the first time? What should you include and what should you leave out? What mistakes do you make when you write an email? What makes an email effective? What does it take to make an email stand out from all the other emails in your inbox? What kind of email should you send? What type of email do you send most often? What types of emails do you avoid sending? Why? Why don’t you send more emails? Why do you get so many rejections? Why is it so hard for you to get an interview? Why aren’t you getting any job offers? Why are you not getting the job you want? Why isn’t your resume getting noticed? Why haven’t you gotten any job interviews? Why can’t you find a job? Why doesn’t anyone want to hire me? Why won’t anyone give me a chance? Why am I not getting any interviews? What’s wrong with my resume? Why hasn’t anyone responded to my email? Why didn’t anyone call me back? Why did I get rejected? Why was I not selected for the position? Why wasn’t I hired? Why does no one want to interview me? What am I doing wrong? What else can I do to get more interviews? Is there anything I can do to increase my chances of being hired? How should I prepare for a job interview? How many job interviews should I have before I give up? How will I know if I’m qualified for the job I want? How long should I wait before I send a follow-up email? Should I follow up after the initial interview? What if I don’t hear back from the person I interviewed with? How often should I send follow-ups? How much should I ask for in a job offer? How important is it to ask about benefits? What benefits should I be asking for? What kinds of benefits do companies offer? Do I have to ask to be considered for a position? What exactly do I need to do if I want to be hired for a new position? How does a job application differ from a résumé? Why should I write a cover letter when I am applying for a specific job? What things should I include in my cover letter and what things shouldn’t I include? What happens if I forget to include something important in my letter? When is it appropriate to send a thank-you email after an interview, and when is it inappropriate? When should I thank someone for an interview and when should I not thank them? When do I have the right to ask someone for a second interview? When can I ask someone to interview with me again? When does it make sense for me to follow up with a phone call? When am I allowed to call the person back? What questions should you ask in a phone interview? Should you ask the person if they have any questions for you? How am I supposed to know if the person is interested in me if they don’t ask me any questions? How are phone interviews different from in-person interviews? How is an interview different from a job fair? What are the different types of job fairs? How can I tell if I am being interviewed? What do I do if the interview is not what I expected it to be? When and how do I ask a question during the interview? Where do I go to find out more about the company I am interviewing with? Where is the best place to look for jobs? Where are the best places to apply for jobs online? Where can I find out about job openings? Where should I look for new jobs? What websites can I use to find new job opportunities? What sites should I avoid using to find jobs? How and where should I post my resume online? What is the difference between an online job board and a career site? What job boards should I use? What jobs should I apply for on a job board? Which job boards are the most effective? Which ones are the least effective? Do job boards really work? Are they worth the time and effort it takes to use them? Are job boards a good way to find a new job? Do companies use job boards to find employees? Do they post jobs on job boards? Why would a company post a job on a board? Why wouldn’t they just post the job on their own website?