{"id":9842,"date":"2013-03-01T13:00:42","date_gmt":"2013-03-01T18:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=9842"},"modified":"2014-04-19T14:42:39","modified_gmt":"2014-04-19T19:42:39","slug":"follow-up-emails-for-novice-networkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=9842","title":{"rendered":"Follow-up Emails for Novice Networkers"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Veda Darby Soberman, Head Editor, INALJ Hawaii<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Follow-up Emails for Novice Networkers<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"veda.darby.soberman\"<\/a>So, you have submitted a number of resumes to potential employees, and now you just need to sit back and wait for the phone calls to begin pouring in, right?\u00a0 Yes\u2026no\u2026maybe?\u00a0 What do you do once your resume is submitted?\u00a0 Is a follow up email or phone call necessary or effective?<\/p>\n

With all of the jobs I have been hired for, I don\u2019t think I ever considered or felt the need to do any follow-up communications once I applied.\u00a0<\/strong> Most of these jobs had been positions for which I was confidently well-qualified for, and I was most often contacted for an interview within two weeks of the closing date of the job posting.\u00a0 However, now that I am applying for professional positions in the library and information field, I feel quite compelled to do something other than sit back and wait once my resume has been submitted.<\/p>\n

Since graduating in December 2012, I have applied for a few available positions, but have not heard one way or another about the status of my applications other than they were received.\u00a0 I know that while I am highly capable, I am less confident that I would be considered well-qualified for an LIS job in comparison with someone with many years of experience in the field. As such, I have decided that it would be to my advantage to do some networking through simple follow-up emails.<\/p>\n

Two weeks after applying for a public services position at a local university library, I sent a follow-up email to the person named on the job listing as the one to direct inquiries to.\u00a0 I knew that this person was a secretary to the University Librarian (after some research on the library\u2019s website), and would not likely respond to my follow-up.\u00a0 However, I had hopes that the secretary would pass my message along to the search committee or University Librarian.\u00a0 After two more weeks of waiting, I decided to work up the nerve to email the University Librarian with whom I had built a relationship with through my research projects as an MLIS student.\u00a0 It may seem silly that I had not contacted her to start with, but I wanted to follow proper protocol and didn\u2019t want to appear desperate or pushy.<\/strong>\u00a0 Thankfully, she seemed happy to hear from me, and provided me with an update on the status of the position.\u00a0 While the effectiveness of this follow-up communication in landing a job is yet to be seen (the position I applied for is still \u201cin the process\u201d) I definitely see the value of checking in, especially when you have the beginnings of a network already established.\u00a0 A short and polite follow-up can communicate that you are still around and interested especially when an organization my take months to complete the hiring process.<\/p>\n

While follow-up communications should be tailored to the organization and your relationship with the person with whom you are communicating, here is what I think are the basic components of a solid follow-up email:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Polite greeting<\/strong><\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reminder of who you are if you have already established a relationship with the organization or person with whom you are communicating (include additional thanks if they had helped you with research, etc.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What position you have applied for (include where you saw the posting) and when<\/strong><\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Any updates to your application (i.e. graduation date, current or completed internships, trainings, etc.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Question about the status of the position.\u00a0 Keep it simple and to the point.\u00a0 Something along the lines of, \u201cWhat is the current status of this position?\u201d should suffice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Express your interest in working at the organization (again, keep it short and sweet).<\/strong><\/p>\n

7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Say that you would be happy to provide any additional information, and include your contact information.<\/strong><\/p>\n

8)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Close politely with something like, \u201cI look forward to hearing from you about this or any other available positions at [insert organization name].\u00a0 Thank you for your consideration.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Definitely keep it concise. Two to three brief paragraphs should be enough.\u00a0 Good luck!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Veda Darby Soberman, Head Editor, INALJ Hawaii Follow-up Emails for Novice Networkers So, you have submitted a number of resumes to potential employees, and now you just need to sit back and wait for the phone calls to begin pouring in, right?\u00a0 Yes\u2026no\u2026maybe?\u00a0 What do you do once your resume is submitted?\u00a0 Is a…<\/p>\n

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