Subject lines that will get your cold email noticed

Subject lines that will get your cold email noticed Subject lines that will get your cold email noticed When you’re job hunting, there are plenty of tips out there about how to get noticed- and most of them don’t involve submitting a standard  cover letter and Word .doc resume to a generic email  address. If you’ve never tried cold emailing before, the process can feel awkward or even invasive, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are our tips on how to reach out to strangers  respectfully, plus  some techniques for writing subject lines that will get you noticed in their inboxes. Follow Ladders on Flipboard! Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more! What is cold emailing? Basically, it’s a way of reaching out to companies you love- that may not have listed job openings  at the moment- through direct contact.More often than not, contacting  the right person with a short, tailored email will serve you better than applying for jobs the old-fashioned way. To cold email, you do some mild to moderate internet  stalking of your favorite companies, find the name of someone you think will know what to do with your resume, then try reaching them by emailing a series of  likely addresses (firstname@companyx.com,  firstnamelastname@companyx.com,  etc).There are some great resources on how to get started with cold emailing  (we covered it  here  or try  here,  here, and  here) so we’ll skip straight to the rules  of  how  to write your actual message. Preparing to cold email Rule #1: Don’t Skip Steps Before cold emailing, gather your list of potential contacts  through LinkedIn or website  team pages. Next,  make sure to check  LinkedIn to see if anyone in your network is connected to the people  you’re trying to reach. It’s always better to reach out  through  a mutual acquaintance because it automatically establishes a level of trust. But sometimes reaching out to someone you don’t know can’t be helped so…just try it out. Rule #2: Tread Carefully Do your research. We’re talking all the research- on the company itself, the department that interests you, the role you’d like to fill, even the person you’re trying to email. If you want them to respond to your message, treat them with the deference they deserve by putting in the work. If we haven’t mentioned it enough already, the key to all cold emailing is: respect.Your email should be short and  tailored  to your contact- meaning if you’re not willing to write an original message for each person, you’re not ready to cold email. Drafting your email Rule #3: Keep It Short One-page cover letters serve  you fine when they’re actually a requirement of the job application, but when you’re cold-emailing, be mindful of the person’s time. Your email should be short and specifically tailored  to the company and your contact, meaning if you’re not willing to write an original message for each person, you’re not ready to cold email.By tailoring your emails, you’ll ensure that you come across as genuine, passionate, and a potential asset. Once you’ve written a summary of your standard cover letter, including how you  would specifically benefit the company at hand, you’re ready for the pesky final step: Writing the perfect subject line Rule #4: Make It Dynamic “Possible Job Opportunity?” = Not dynamic.“An inquiry”  = Nope.When you sit down to write your subject line, try these techniques: Don’t be afraid to get personal:  Have you ever heard that tip about using someone’s name regularly while speaking with them? It makes us all feel special for someone to remember and use our name in conversation. It means they’re paying attention and actively participating. The same applies to cold emailing. It’s always smart to try  working  the person’s name into the subject line. Use that research:  You looked into the company before cold emailing for a reason. Now use that knowledge. Reference a specific project they’ve recently completed or the name of the  department you’re interested in. These unique details will prove you’re not spam and that you care. Keep it short and weigh your words:  Skip the fillers, keep it short, and put the important stuff at the beginning. We all get bored. Make it easy for them. Provide value:  Why should they want to read your email, let alone interview or hire you? What makes you an asset? Get specific in your subject line. Examples If you  luck out and have a common connection:“Anna, Mark Johnson recommended  I reach out”  If you don’t know the contact at all, but found and read some of their published work:“Ms. Connor, I loved your LinkedIn article on networking”If you don’t have much to go on at all, offer value:“Social Media Manager with Non-Profit Expertise Interested In Helping  Your Team”  When all else fails, try a question:“Any advice for someone who loves the marketing work you’re doing at Company X?”This article originally appeared on Career Contessa. You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people