STEP 4

Outreach—How to Play the Student Card to Set Up Career Conversations

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

SUN TZU

Ever since Kevin could remember, his parents had told him that if he worked hard, he could achieve anything. Kevin’s parents operate a small doughnut shop, working seven days per week for most of the year. Their dedication is what made it possible for Kevin to go to college and pursue a career he’d love. After two years of community college, Kevin transferred to a four-year university. He chose finance as a major but didn’t have a great idea of what he wanted to do for a career. Although he performed well in school, Kevin wasn’t able to land the internships he really wanted. Kevin thought that the sports business industry might match his interests, but he had no connections with anyone in that field who might help him get started.

During his junior year, Kevin took my class, and he used the strategies and tactics to try to land an internship. Kevin, an introvert with a pronounced stutter at times, had never done outreach like this before, so he was pretty nervous and doubted the strategy’s effectiveness for someone like him. During his research, Kevin was searching online and found Don Yee, the agent for MVP quarterback Tom Brady. He added Mr. Yee to his list of twenty-five contacts.

Yee was very successful and no doubt very busy, so Kevin assumed that he wouldn’t have time to meet with a student like him. Nevertheless, Kevin followed the outreach strategy detailed in this chapter. He sent an initial email to Yee and then, when he didn’t get a response, sent a follow-up email two business days later. A couple days after that, he worked up the courage to call the main office phone number. No one answered, so he left a message, but he didn’t think anything more would come of this shot in the dark.

To his surprise, Yee’s assistant returned Kevin’s call a few hours later. On the voicemail, Kevin had explained his situation as a student and what he hoped to learn from Yee. He asked for twenty minutes of Yee’s time to get career advice. The assistant received approval from Yee and offered either a video chat or an in-person meeting. Kevin told her that he wanted to meet in person, even though it required a six-hour drive.

During the meeting, Yee was impressed that Kevin had made such a great effort to travel to his office. Kevin’s twenty-minute meeting ended up lasting for more than two hours. Yee walked him through his whole career path and gave Kevin valuable advice about how to break into the sports industry. He took note of Kevin’s curiosity and willingness to learn. At the end of the meeting, Yee told Kevin that he had an opening at his agency and asked whether he would like to join as a paid intern. This was Kevin’s dream internship, so he accepted with great delight, and worked at the agency Yee & Dubin for the summer.

This experience showed Kevin just how helpful professionals can be, so he continued to be proactive about meeting professionals during his internship. He connected with as many people at the firm as he could, building a solid base of connections in the sports management industry. Although Kevin mostly enjoyed the work, he wasn’t altogether sure if it was right for him. One of his mentors at the company gave him a truthful perspective on the upsides and downsides of the industry, and Kevin eventually realized in his discernment process that being a sports agent wasn’t right for him.

Although Kevin’s dream internship didn’t turn into a long-term career, it was still an important learning experience and a turning point in gaining the self-confidence to pursue careers he was passionate about. He also practiced valuable skills that have benefited him in the years since the internship. After the summer internship ended, Kevin continued to conduct career conversations during his senior year. He later decided to attend graduate school and transitioned to his career of choice in data analytics.

Kevin’s story demonstrates that conducting career conversations can help you overcome self-doubt and achieve things you didn’t know were possible. His authenticity and curiosity were apparent to everyone with whom he spoke, and this led to many of these people becoming long-term connections, who to this day continue to offer him valuable advice. Kevin is also a great example of why I advise students to follow the ten-day outreach strategy discussed in this chapter. Well-timed and polite follow-up messages are key to getting professionals to say yes to meeting with you. Don Yee shared with Kevin that he doesn’t respond to student requests via email or LinkedIn, but he admires students willing to reach out with a phone call.

“Not every connection will lead to a long-lasting relationship,” Kevin said. “But some career conversations will lead to strong connections, and you can maintain those relationships throughout your career. The Career Launch Method changed my life and provided opportunities I previously thought were impossible to obtain. Learning how to effectively build relationships with professionals has given me an unshakable self-confidence, which I believe is the main reason my stutter has gone away.”

You have to take advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime, in the lifetime of the opportunity.

ERIC THOMAS

KEY TAKEAWAY #1: PLAY THE STUDENT CARD

Many students feel that because they are a student, no one who is further along or established in their career will want to speak with them. Students often have the false idea that they have nothing to contribute to such a conversation and that they would just be wasting people’s time. But in fact your status as a student doesn’t hurt you; it actually helps you to build relationships with professionals. As chapter 4 pointed out, professionals remember what it was like to be a student with little or no work experience and few connections. Many people take joy in paying it forward by meeting with students to discern their future and by opening doors to internships and jobs and/or by making introductions to other professionals. When you follow the Career Launch Method, you will be reaching out to professionals in a respectful manner and expressing gratitude for the time they spend meeting you, which will make professionals more likely to want to help you.

Playing the “student card” means that when you do outreach, you intentionally say that you are a student who is looking to learn.

My recommendation is that you go one step beyond mentioning that you are a student by stating that you have an assignment to conduct career conversations. This greatly increases your chances of professionals wanting to help you. Each term, I give my students an assignment to complete at least two career conversations, and I’d like to extend this “assignment” to you as well. I’m giving you this assignment because I want you to ethically use the student card when you reach out to professionals using the templates on the following pages. I may not teach at the school you attend, but that doesn’t mean I can’t give you this important assignment. Of course, there will be nothing to turn in—unless you are reading or listening to this book for a class taught by another professor who gives you a similar assignment.

Students often wonder what happens when they graduate. If you’re a recent graduate, it doesn’t make sense to say you have a class assignment, but you can still play the “recent graduate card.” It’s an extremely common experience (especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic) for new graduates to be going through a period of vocational discernment and job searching. Professionals like to help recent graduates for the same reasons that they like to help students. The Career Launch Method even works well for professionals in their late twenties and thirties. I’ve had many former students reach out and tell me they played the “young professional card.” In their outreach, they state that they are a young professional looking to learn and build their career.

Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential power. Action is power.

TONY ROBBINS

KEY TAKEAWAY #2: USE PROVEN OUTREACH STRATEGIES AND TEMPLATES

The two main types of outreach that you need to learn about are cold networking and warm networking. Cold networking involves contacting someone without having any previous relationship with that person. Warm networking involves making use of your personal network, such as family, friends, neighbors, career counselors, professors, former coaches, and teachers, as well as alumni platforms, if your college has one.

Many students initially think they don’t know anyone who could help them make introductions through warm networking, but you should spend a good amount of time brainstorming before you move on to cold networking. Think about family friends, former coaches or mentors, people in the groups to which you belong, high school teachers, and so on. It’s okay if you haven’t spoken to a particular person in a while. Many of these people likely will be willing to help you if you ask. The key is to connect with as many of these people as you can—even if they don’t have the career you’re interested in. Some of the people, unbeknownst to you, might know others who do have careers you’re considering, and they can make introductions for you.

Some students are fortunate to have many people with whom they can do meaningful warm networking that can lead to several career conversations. But the majority of students do not come from families, colleges, or circumstances that provide connections to people with access to the internships, jobs, or organizations in which they are interested. In this case, which was my situation, you need to engage primarily in cold networking.

Many students think warm networking is superior to cold networking because it relies on existing connections. Although requests made through existing connections may have a higher success rate, my research with Barry Posner has found that students who engage in cold networking are twice as likely to earn an internship than students who engage only in warm networking. It is uncommon for students to already know the right professionals at organizations where they’re applying, so cold and warm networking is almost always required to connect with the right people for your interests.

The idea of reaching out to complete strangers isn’t very appealing to most students. But by taking the actions and utilizing the templates detailed here, you can equip yourself and be more confident in reaching out to professionals who can be beneficial to your career.

Strategies and Templates for Warm Networking

Three main groups of people can be beneficial in warm networking. If your college has an alumni platform, that will be an additional resource. I’ve provided some templates on how to contact people from each group. Remember that you should always customize a template so that it’s specific to the person you are contacting. No one likes to feel like they are receiving a copy-and-paste message. However, these templates do include the key information that you should include in your outreach messages. They are useful in setting up a conversation with one of your existing connections who has a career in which you might be interested, or who may know other people to whom you could be introduced. If you have a strong relationship with someone, you may feel comfortable just asking them directly for connections or for someone’s contact information via text message. Most of the time, though, it’s respectful and wise to have a conversation with your connection (verbally or via email) to give them more background on your career ambitions and the type of professionals with whom you want to connect. Here are templates for three common types of warm connections.

1. For people you know and feel comfortable contacting

Hi, [Name],

I have an assignment this [semester/quarter/summer] to conduct two career conversations. Can we schedule 15–20 minutes to connect later this week or next week?

Thank you,
[Your Name]

2. For people you know but haven’t talked to in a while and are unsure if you can or should reach out to them

Hi, [Name],

It’s been a while, and I hope you are doing well. This is [Your Name] from [how you know them]. I have an assignment this [semester/quarter/summer] to conduct two career conversations. Can we schedule 15–20 minutes to connect later this week or next week?

Thank you for your consideration,
[Your Name]

3. For people that your professors, friends, counselors, classmates, or family know but whom you don’t know personally, or for people on an alumni platform

If you want to be introduced to a specific person

Hi, [Name],

I hope you are doing well. [personalize as needed but don’t be too lenghty]

I have an assignment this [semester/quarter/summer] about career discernment. You are connected with [Name of Person you want to connect to] and I’d be most appreciative if you could introduce me and/or provide me with [his/her] email address. I would like to connect with [her/him] for my assignment.

Thank you,
[Your Name]

If you want help finding people in a certain industries or job types

Hi, [Name],

I hope you are doing well.

I have an assignment this [semester/quarter/summer] about career discernment. I would love to speak with people in [industry name(s) and job type(s)] or who work for [Organization Name(s)].

I’m interested in learning more about [job function] and was wondering if you know anyone who might be helpful in this assignment. If you are comfortable sending an introductory email or sending me their contact information, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you,
[Your Name]

Strategies and Templates for Cold Networking

Cold networking will always be more challenging than warm networking, which is why I advocate starting with warm networking. As you begin your cold networking, keep in mind that alumni of your college and people with similarities to you are more likely to respond to your requests. However, if you completed the action items in step 3 and you demonstrate professional persistence by following each of the steps in the outreach strategy given here, you will be surprised how many people will respond positively to your messages—even professionals who aren’t alumni or who aren’t similar to you.

In the templates that follow, you are explicitly asking for an in-person or video chat meeting. In our research, Barry Posner and I found that, compared with phone calls, in-person or video meetings double the odds of career conversations leading to employment opportunities. In-person meetings are ideal, but they aren’t always feasible, so video chats are second best. Because the other person can see you and your facial expressions, they will feel like they know you better than if they can’t see your face. Phone calls are far from ideal but will suffice if they are the only option.

TEN-DAY OUTREACH STRATEGY

Let me note a few important distinctions. First, starting your outreach with a LinkedIn note does not optimize success. Second, do not give up after sending one email. Over the past ten-plus years, I’ve taught a variety of outreach strategies. Some have worked and some haven’t. The strategy below is what has proven to be optimal. It may not be the quickest method, but it gives you the best chance to get a yes. Third, do not reach out to more than five professionals at a time. Although it might be tempting, trust me on this one. I’ve had students disregard this advice and then admit that they became disorganized or overwhelmed and made mistakes that cost them opportunities.

Starting with LinkedIn is a common shortcut that students want to take. While LinkedIn is an excellent resource, it should not be your first mode of outreach. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get a yes by starting with LinkedIn; it just means LinkedIn messages don’t maximize your chances.

Do not give up after sending your initial outreach. Follow-up is extremely important for getting professionals to say yes, i.e. Kevin’s experience with Don Yee. Many students are apprehensive about following up after their initial outreach because they feel that they will be perceived as pushy or aggressive. However, the main reason that you don’t hear back from your inquiries is that professionals are just busy and will ignore your request unless you follow up with another message. Some professionals have told me that they purposely don’t respond to initial cold outreach to “see if the student really wants it.”

Keep in mind that your goal is to be respectful and to get the person you are contacting to give you a yes. Most people will tell you no or will never respond, and that’s okay! Don’t take it personally. That’s why you made a list of twenty-five in step 2. Continued action gets rewarded. Remember, it’s a numbers game. You need to persist because although one single conversation is unlikely to change your life, one single conversation can change your life.

Day 1: Email #1 to contacts 1 through 5.

Day 3: Email #2 to contacts 1 through 5.

Day 5: Call contacts 1 through 5.

Day 7: LinkedIn message to contacts 1 through 5.

Day 9: Print and mail a letter. If not possible, send email #3 with résumé attached.

Day 10: Stop contacting these five people and repeat the process with five more contacts from your list of twenty-five.

Note: “Days” here includes business days only, not weekends or holidays. If day 1 falls on a Friday, then day 3 would be Tuesday.

While one person hesitates because they feel inferior, another is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.

HENRY C. LINK

Day 1 Email Template

Sending a clear and concise email is essential to landing a career conversation. The template offered here has been refined based students’ experiences. Remember to customize the template in ways that indicate you have done your research and know what your contact does. All emails should be sent from your school email address, not your personal email. This proves that you are actually a student.

For the subject line, I recommend that you use the name of your college, which will make the receiver curious enough to open the email without giving enough information for them to immediately disregard and delete your request. This strategy is called “gating,” a concept that considers the intended audience’s behavior along the path of their decision-making.

The first objective of your cold email is for the email to not get deleted before it actually gets opened and read. Imagine a busy doctor or business professional who has just finished back-to-back-to-back meetings. When they glance at their phone, they might have twenty-three emails in their inbox. If your subject line says “Informational Interview” or “Coffee Chat” or something similar, your email might get deleted before it gets read. Using the name of your college is purposely vague and your email likely will be opened and reviewed.

Subject line: [Name of Your College]

Hi, [Name],

I’m a student at [Name of Your College]. I have an assignment this [quarter/semester/summer] to conduct two 20-minute career conversations via video chat or in person with [companies or organizations] and people that interest me.

You’ve had a successful career since you finished college at [Name of College]. I’d like to learn about your journey from [Name of First Organization after college] to [Name of Current Organization]. (Optional: add a second sentence and say more about what you want to learn about.)

I understand you probably keep a busy schedule, so I’m willing to meet before or after business hours, if necessary. Are you available on [Tuesday afternoon or Friday morning]?

I hope it’s okay that I’m sending this email, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]

Note: If the person did not attend college or has worked for the same organization for their entire career, you will need to modifiy accordingly. The body of this email template is very intentional. First, give some thought to the greeting line. A general rule of thumb is to use Mr. or Ms. for professionals, especially for those in their forties and older. For younger professionals, and in some industries and geographies, it may be appropriate to greet professionals by their first name.

Second, you will state that you’re a student and you have an assignment to conduct two career conversations via video chat or in person. It’s important to explicitly call out the modality, because you don’t want a phone call. However, you should remove “in person” for people who aren’t located near you or during times of a pandemic.

Next, you pay a compliment and mention a few things that are specific to them as an individual. This shows that you truly researched them and are not just copying and pasting the email.

Then you want to acknowledge that they have a busy schedule and convey your willingness to meet before or after business hours if needed. This sentence is very important, because the number one reason that professionals say no is that they are too busy. There is a communication principle that says the best time to handle an objection is before it comes up. That is what you are doing here. Can someone still tell you that they are too busy? Of course. But it’s less likely to occur. Another benefit of the sentence is that it showcases something about your personal brand. You are implying that you are a go-getter, an overachiever who is willing to meet early or late, and that you have empathy for their busy schedule.

Finally, you want to provide two time slots that can work for you. If you have a tight schedule, you may need to offer specific times, as opposed to chunks of time. Even though you are the one making the request, professionals recognize that you have a class schedule and likely a job too, and thus it’s best practice for you to proactively provide a couple of time slots that work for you. This minimizes the amount of back-and-forth emails, which saves time and increases your chances of getting a yes. If your proposed time slots don’t work for the professional, they will likely offer other options. If you simply state something like “Are you willing to meet with me sometime?,” you are less likely to be successful.

Day 3 Email Template

Most professionals won’t respond to your initial email, so be prepared to follow up two business days later (remember that weekends don’t count). Start a brand-new email, but use the same subject line as your first one. This follow-up email needs to be concise and polite. Here’s the template that works best:

Subject line: [Name of Your College]

Hi, [Name],

I hope your week is going well.

I am thrilled at the possibility of meeting with you for a 20-minute career conversation for my school assignment.

Would [next Wednesday or Friday] work for you?

Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]

Day 5 Phone Call Template

If neither of your first two emails elicits a response, try a phone call. People in some job types are more likely than others to pick up the phone, but leaving a voice mail is always a good strategy to get a response. I recognize that making a phone call is much more intimidating than sending an email or LinkedIn message. But this is the exact reason that professionals are more likely to say yes to students who do not skip this step. Although making a phone call may induce fear or concern, consider that the worst-case scenario is that you leave a message and stumble over your words, or the person could even pick up and say, “No, I’m too busy to meet.” The best case, though, is that your phone call leads to a career conversation, which can lead to an internship or job.

Is it worth letting your fears and concerns prevent you from calling when a “yes” could change your life? Remember Kevin’s story from the beginning of the chapter: the phone call made all the difference. There are lots of professionals who will never respond to emails or LinkedIn messages but will say yes to a phone call or voicemail.

Try to find the person’s direct work phone number online, though it is unlikely that you will be successful in this. You are probably going to be calling a main line and one of two things will likely happen: Either you will enter an automated phone tree (along the lines of “Press 1 for . . .”) or you will speak with a receptionist. If you enter a phone tree, great. Navigate the prompts and leave a voice mail if the person doesn’t answer.

When you are speaking with a receptionist, say, “[First Name, Last Name], please.” Notice you aren’t saying that you are a student calling for a class assignment. Make it sound like you already know the person. There’s a saying in the workplace, “Don’t make a request to someone who can tell you no but cannot tell you yes.” Receptionists and assistants can tell you no but they can’t tell you yes. Do not use the template with a receptionist unless you have to.

Note: Many companies have two main lines, one for customer service and one for the organization’s headquarters. You want to locate the latter.

This template gives you an idea of what to say either when leaving a message or when you get the professional you want to speak with on the line.

Hi, [Their Name]. This is [Your Name]. I’m a student at [Name of College].

(If the person answers, pause and let them acknowledge you.)

I have an assignment to conduct two twenty-minute career conversations, on a video chat or in person, with people and organizations that interest me.

I’d like to learn about your journey from [Name of First Organization after college] to [Name of Organization where they are working now] because I’m interested in [name of industry or job function].

I understand you probably keep a busy schedule, so I’m willing to meet before or after business hours, if necessary. Are you available on [time slot] or [time slot]?

(If you are leaving voice mail, add . . .) Please call me back at [phone number]. That’s [repeat number]. Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing from you.

Note: Make sure the voice mail box on your phone is set up and is not full. Also, make sure to record a personalize greeting on your voice mail. I’ve had employers tell me they have called students to say yes to career conversations, and even to offer jobs, but couldn’t leave a voice mail, so they moved on. You do not want this to happen to you.

Images

FIGURE 5. Sending a LinkedIn invite.

Day 7 LinkedIn Message

If professionals don’t respond to your emails or phone call (or if you can’t find their phone number), LinkedIn is your next mode of outreach. To send someone a connection request that includes a message on LinkedIn, go to their profile and click Connect. It’s essential that you add a note (space is limited) to say why you want to connect (see figure 5). If you see that the person you are contacting is active on LinkedIn, you might consider doing this step even earlier in the process.

Hi, [Name],

I’m a student at [Name of College] and I have an assignment to conduct two career conversations via video chat or in person. I’d love to connect for 20 minutes and learn about your career.

I’m willing to talk before or after business hours if necessary.

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Day 9: Mail a Letter or Email #3 with Résumé Attached

Physical mail is unconventional these days, and that is exactly why it is such an effective strategy. If your contact works in an office and you can find the address, you should mail a typed letter along with your résumé, giving a bit of background on who you are and asking for a career conversation.

Sending a letter is ideal because it’s likely to be read. To optimize your chances for success, this tactic requires you to print a letter (asking for a career conversation) and your résumé (ideally on thick card stock paper), to purchase an oversize envelope (9 × 12 inches) so you don’t have to fold your letter or résumé, to buy postage, and then to send it off in the mail. Figure 6 presents a template for how to address an envelope to an organization. This takes time, and each mailing costs the price of a latte, but it might be worth it for you, as it was for me.

If mailing isn’t an option, send email #3, and make sure to attach your résumé as a PDF. This email should be short and should request that the professional will keep you in mind for any opportunities and/or will forward your résumé on to a coworker.

Subject line: Keep me in mind—[Your Name], résumé attached

Hi, [Name],

I know you keep a busy schedule, but I hope our paths will cross down the road.

Please keep me in mind for any opportunities and/or forward my attached résumé on to a coworker.

Many thanks,
[Your Name]
[Your Email Signature]

At this point in the follow-up process, you don’t need to ask for a career conversation. You are better off sending this note and including your résumé. The professional probably won’t be able to meet with you, but they might forward your email to a coworker. This doesn’t take much effort on their part, and it’s worth a shot. One of my former students, Kyle, landed a full-time job in Boston using this approach.

Images

FIGURE 6. How to address an envelope.

If you do not receive a response after executing these five modes of outreach, STOP. Cross the person off your list of twenty-five and move on to the next contact.

HANDLING OBJECTIONS

Sometimes you will get a hard no. When this happens, you must stop contacting that professional and move on to other people on your list. You should always be polite and respectful, which means honoring the professional’s request in this scenario.

Other times, people will give you some kind of reason or objection to your request. These are called rebuttals. Rebuttals are not the same as a no, and you shouldn’t give up. Here are three of the most frequent rebuttals and how you should consider responding.

1. “I’m busy.”

(To which you respond . . .)

Hi, [Name],

No problem. I understand. I am willing to meet with you when your schedule is not so busy. I would really appreciate the opportunity to learn about your career and experiences.

Can we find a time next month? If so, when is best for you?

Also, if there is any chance you can meet sooner, I will be flexible with my schedule.

Thank you for your consideration.
[Your Name]

2. “Yes, but can we do this by phone?”

(To which you respond . . .)

Hi, [Name],

Thank you for getting back to me. I am excited and grateful for this opportunity.

I’ve been instructed to complete these career conversations by video chat or in person. If that is not possible, I am happy to connect by phone. I understand that talking on the phone can be better from a time management perspective. However, I hope you might consider making yourself available for an in-person visit or video call.

If you can accommodate a meeting in person or a video call, I can be flexible with the date and time. If not, I look forward to connecting by phone.

Thank you for your consideration.
[Your Name]

3. “It’s not a good time.”

(To which you respond . . .)

Hi, [Name],

Okay, no problem. I’ll make a note to reconnect with you in a month and hopefully it will be a better time for you.

Thank you for your consideration.
[Your Name]

REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION

Other times, people will give you a maybe type of answer. Here are a few common questions you can expect to receive, along with how you should consider responding.

1. “Are you looking for a job?”

(To which you respond . . .)

Hi, [Name],

Thanks for asking. What I am looking for is an opportunity to learn about your experience, your background, and your organization. I’d like to know about your own career. If you are looking to hire, I would certainly be interested in knowing about that; however, that is not the reason for my request.

Can we find a time to connect next week?

[Your Name]

Note that we are again using the strategy of gating.

2. “How did you find my email?”

Just be honest. All the resources this book provides are legal and ethical. Tell the person exactly where you found their contact information. You can reference this book. Don’t forget to follow up your response to this question with some variation of your prepared script, to see whether this person would be willing to have an in-person or video chat meeting with you!

3. “What questions will you be asking me?”

Go ahead and share a few of the questions that you will develop after reading step 5, and ask if these seem okay or acceptable. Then ask if the person is available sometime the following week. Don’t reveal, however, the “Advanced Preparation” questions (which will be discussed in step 6).

BEGIN YOUR OUTREACH

Take some time to review your warm and cold contacts and decide where it makes sense for you to get started. You should first think about your existing network and follow the warm networking strategies. Next, choose five professionals from your list of twenty-five and follow the ten-day outreach strategy for each. You’ll be sending a lot of emails, so I recommend using the Outreach Tracking Sheets in the Launch Your Career Workbook or the online version located at careerlaunch.academy/resources for tracking your requests, who responds, and when you set up career conversations. Remember to persist through each part of the ten-day outreach guide, and keep a positive attitude when someone says no or is slow to respond.

Note: When you receive a “yes” and you finalize a date and time, it is your responsibility to send the professional a calendar invite for the career conversation. You should assume that the person is busy and that they will need a calendar event to remember your meeting. Use your school email calendar to create a new event and invite the other person’s email to that event. Reference the Workbook to view an example or do a quick online search if you’re unfamiliar with sending a calendar invitation.

REVIEW AND REFLECT

Playing the “student card” means that when you do outreach, you intentionally say that you are a student who is looking to learn. Professionals enjoy helping students and recent graduates.

Warm networking is when you do outreach to people with whom you have some connection or introduction. These include friends of friends, family connections, professors at school, or people you once knew but have fallen out of touch with. Warm networking is a great place to begin your outreach. Follow the templates in this chapter to get started.

Cold networking is when you reach out to people whom you have never met. It is likely that you will need to do cold networking to meet people in the job functions at the organizations where you want to work.

Following the ten-day outreach strategy is essential to getting professionals to meet with you. This approach has been tested with students for more than ten years and it helps you to be both persistent and respectful.

ACTION ITEMS

1. Begin contacting people in your warm network.

2. Begin the outreach process with five people from your list of twenty-five strategic contacts identified during step 2, and continue using the process until you either get a response or complete each action item in the ten-day outreach strategy. If you don’t get a response, or if you get a hard no, stop contacting the professional.

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