How To Introduce Yourself In An Email (And Get Responses!)

How To Introduce Yourself In An Email (And Get Responses!)

Have you seen an interesting position at a company or know someone who works for a place hiring for the position? Have you thought about contacting them to introduce yourself and try to get your CV in their hands? If yes, that’s the topic of the day – how to introduce yourself in an email and get your name on their radar.

So far, pretty simple, right? It is quite easy to send out an email, but it is harder to get the person to read it, and even harder to get him to respond. You need to carefully craft this email so that you are not only catching their attention but offering a nugget of value. The first thing that this person of interest will see is the subject line, so we’ll start there as soon as we review the structure.

Structure

1. Subject Line
2. Greet the person
3. Strong opening sentence
4. Why you are contacting them
5. Show how you add value
6. Make a request
7. Show your gratitude

Subject Lines To Introduce Yourself In An Email

As mentioned above, the first thing this person of interest will see is the subject line. Subject lines can make or break your email – it dictates open rate success. Let’s look at some good options to use for job searchers:

1. Are you looking for a (position name)?
2. Saw (company name) is hiring for (position name)
3. Position name role opening e.g. Jr Analyst Role Opening
4. Are you looking for a (position name)?

Using a good subject line will help get you higher open-rates! Let’s look at how to greet the person and then dive into the main points.

How To Greet The Person

There are many different ways you can greet someone and they all can be understood and used in different situations. Let me explain. For your typical formal position at a bank, financial institution, etc, go with “Dear Name”. This is formal and highly used. If you are applying to a company that you know has more of a startup, entrepreneurial, cool culture, go with “Hi Name”, “Hello Name”. It’s as simple as that. You could always use “Mr. Name” or “Ms. Name” which is fine, but this is normally if you are going for a junior position and the person is far more senior. All of these work, though, and are great ways to introduce yourself in an email.

Use A Strong Opening Sentence – Hook Them Now!

This is one of the key points; besides getting the person to open up your email, you want the person to continue reading your email. One of the most common (and dull) ways of introducing yourself would be,

“My Name is Phil and I am reaching out because I saw an ad for the Jr Analyst position…”

Ok, straight to the point, but totally boring. The fact is, recruiters receive thousands of emails like this and you are not standing out by writing something ordinary! Here are a few others that are equally dull and should be avoided:

“Hi Name,

We have not met before, but I would like to apply for the Jr Analyst position.”

“Hi Name,

We are not officially acquainted, but I would like to present myself and apply for your position of Marketing Analyst.”

Once again, these opening statements are boring and don’t catch the person’s attention. They scream average and average does not cut it when a person gets hundreds of emails per day. Let’s look at better ways to craft your message.

Try to find some common ground or something about the person that you saw that stood out. Finding these points and mentioning them are nice ways to get started and to connect. Here are a few:

1. Just saw a post about… (specific topic)
2. Have you thought about… (marketing your product through Facebook groups.)
3. I find your work inspiring and have learned a lot from it. (Go deeper)
4. I am hoping to get your advice on… (specific topic)
5. I loved your post on (specific topic and why)
6. I have been following (something), and now I am curious to learn more about (something different).
7. I noticed your company recently… (launched a new office in Albany, New York and I was wondering if you have any openings for a marketing analyst.)

Why You Are Contacting Them

Hopefully your introductory statement has caught their attention. Now it is time to get to the real point. In your first liner you said something like,

 “I saw your post on starting a career in digital marketing and I found your article extremely helpful and a good guide for any college student looking to get into this field.”

Your second sentence should now dive deeper:

“I am now keener than ever on joining the digital marketing space and was wondering if your company has any openings for an entry level marketer.”

Or

“I noticed your company has recently launched a new office in the downtown Albany, NY area. I have interned with a few companies in the marketing department and have helped them promote their services in the area.”

Show How You Add Value

In most cases, you can offer suggestions, introduce people who would add value to the business, share pertinent articles, or in this case list things you’ve accomplished and why you are sending your resume. Feel free to include a few links as well.

Make A Request

What is the main thing you are after in this email? It wasn’t just to introduce yourself; it is to give a great first impression and get your resume in their hands so they can submit it to the appropriate person. After you have shown why you are contacting them and a few points of how you can add value, make a request. Here are a few options:

1. Would you be willing to put me in contact with you HR department?
2. Would you be willing to answer a few questions about what it’s like to work at (company name)? I am available via phone, video conference, or chat. (This is a great hook to then ask if they can submit your resume to HR.)
3. Could I send you my CV for consideration for the (name of position) role?

Make sure that when you ask for something that it is nothing excessive or unreasonable. The last thing you want is the person thinking, “No way!”

Be polite and be confident. Also, don’t forget to attach your resume in this email or Linkedin message.

Show Your Gratitude

No need to write a super long email nor a long reply. The email should be short, sweet and straight to the point. Ending your email with:

1. Thank you
2. Thanks in advance

Template 1 – Sent Via Linkedin

Hey David,

Thanks for connecting. I recently read an article about how your (company name) is partnering with companies and creating pragmatic, hands-on courses for students. I definitely see how there is a huge gap in the education market and how this approach is a great way to bridge the gap and help students acquire the knowledge needed to hit the ground running in the job market.

I see you have a job listing for a (position name) open and I had to get in touch with you.  I believe I would be a great addition to your team to expand your EdTech business for the following reasons:

1. I’ve had the chance to intern at several education companies and gain experience.
2. I am adept at learning new e-learning and teaching approaches and course-ware development.
3. Your company is doing something I believe in: bridging the education gap that colleges have and teaching students the skills they need to hit the ground running at a company. I’ve attached my resume and product portfolio for further consideration.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks in advance,

Philip

Template 2 – Email

Subject Line: Jr Brand Analyst Position

Hello Jim,

Let me say that I am inspired by the work that your company is doing in marketing, and also the possible career growth opportunities.

I recently read one of your company’s articles on how companies need to manage their brands on digital media and how the ones that have neglected this practice are losing market share. I couldn’t agree more.

I’ve interned at a few companies like yours and helped them create and maintain their online presence and branding. I see your company currently has an opening for Jr Brand Analyst and I would love to leave you with my resume and a few links to projects I have worked on during my internships.

• Link 1
• Link 2

I’d love to share more and talk with you and your company.

Thanks in advance.

Philip

Wrap Up

Writing an intro email to present yourself is a great way to get on a person’s radar and get your CV in his/her hands. Many times, just taking the typical resume submission approach is not enough to get noticed. Recruiters receive hundreds of resumes and this can really bog them down. Approaching your resume submission process from different angles will not only increase your chances of getting an interview, you will be increasing your chances of getting placed in a new job!

Have you written an email or Linkedin message to present yourself to a company or recruiter before? What were some of the things you mentioned in the message? Did you get a response? How was the experience. Share your experience with the community in the comments section below.

For more job search and interview tips, check out the CareerPrep blog. For How-to videos and Interview tips, also check out the EnglishInterviews and CareerPrep Youtube Channels.