Let me know if you hear about anything I would be interested in.
Recently I was introduced to someone who almost immediately told me he was looking for a job. Then he said those deadly words: “Let me know if you hear of anything for me.” What a networking killer.
I didn’t know enough about him to even be able to identify a good “anything” yet here he was asking me to let him know when I found one of those. At this point, unfortunately, people often say “sure” and then move on. Don’t kid yourself the way I used to. They won’t remember you.
The Easy Way Out (Leading Nowhere, unfortunately)
It’s hard to think about, but right now we should ask ourselves, “Have I done that?” If you have, think about what you were hoping to accomplish. And how did you feel when you said it?
Remember the words and tone of the response you got. That memory alone may convince you not to make those requests any more.
Help Them Be Able to Help You!
I told him I wouldn’t know how to identify a good “anything” for him. He paused, and then said, “Oh, I’m asking you to do all the work here, aren’t I? Not only do I want you to let me know when you hear about something, but I am leaving it up to you to figure out what I would want to hear about.” He got it!
Sample of Email Requests that Get You Nowhere (again!)
I wanted to share a portion of an email I got from someone just a couple of days ago. I did not know this person, and there wasn’t any way I could be of any assistance to him based on the information in the email.
In addition, I have no idea what “seek your advice on any current and/or future searches for your clients” really means. Strangely that phrase or something similar is in almost every email I get from job seekers.
“I’m currently in a career transition following the elimination of my position due to a company-wide reduction in force.
A copy of my resume is attached and I can be reached on xxx-xxx-xxxx. Please let me know if you hear about anything that might be of interest to me.
I’d appreciate it if you would let me know when you have searches for your clients that would be a good fit for my experience and skills.
Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.”
Heartbreaking Results from so much Effort
If I hadn’t been curious about where he learned to write this kind of networking email and how he expected it would help him, I would never have called him. I would have deleted his email and not kept his information. I bet he sent a lot of these out, and I know that was a lot of work.
When I spoke to him, he admitted that he had been coached on how to write this email. He said he had sent it to a lot of people, and was really disappointed in the results. I was the only person who had contacted him!
Tip to Try: Help Others Help You
Please be specific about how others can help you in job search. People do really want to be of assistance. Give us specifics about how we can help you, and you’ll be delighted at the good information that starts coming your way.
Author: Katherine Moody
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