What Is Cold Emailing? How Should You Write A Cold Email?

Schools and universities prepare us to do a job. But seldom do they teach us ‘how’ to look for work opportunities. Most of you who are reading this article would at some point look for internships or jobs. While until a few years back, it was after getting into college that students began looking for internships, nowadays, even high school students take up internship opportunities, as it helps them practically see the world of work.

However, a lot of times, it happens that we genuinely desire to intern/work with a particular company that we aspire for, but are unable to understand how to reach out to them since there seems to be no vacancy that they have put up on their website, or on any of the internship/job portals. It is also not uncommon for people to aspire to work with an individual they really admire (remember Irfan in 3 Idiots so keen on working with photographer Andre Istevan?) and wanting to reach out to them.

So, what helps you express your desire to work in situations like these? The answer is, ‘cold emails’. But, what is cold emailing?

What Is Cold Emailing?

Cold emails are emails to write to someone you don’t personally, or professionally know, but just know about. They are a way to introduce yourself and ask for a work opportunity, like an internship, volunteership, apprenticeship, full-time job, and so on. Cold emails are used as an effective marketing tool. The potential employer may then connect with you in response to your expression of interest.

How Do Cold Emails Help

• Help you introduce yourself - Cold emails help you easily introduce yourself to the employers you wish to work with.
• Convenient for the receiver - They are non-invasive and give the addressee or recipient the time to respond at their own convenience.
• Good response rate - Cold emails end up in the person’s inbox which is accessed almost daily. This increases the chances of you getting a response.
• Shows your effort and interest - The effort counts, and you get an edge over other applicants.
• Summarise your accomplishments - In a paragraph, cold emails give a glimpse of the profile you have and journals your accomplishments and achievements for the other person to assess.
• Networking tool - Cold emails are a great way to network, make connections, and meet people from the industry.

Who Should You Address Cold Emails To

• Look out for the ‘careers’ section on the websites of organisations. Most human resource departments are active in posting about openings and opportunities on their websites, on their official LinkedIn pages, and sometimes on social media, too.
• If there don’t seem to be vacant relevant posts in the ‘careers’ section, the email ids of organisations are often mentioned on their websites. Also, in the ‘teams’ section, you can usually find the names of the people in the team, the HR, and Heads Of Departments (HODs), and often, their email ids as well. Once you find these details, don’t waste time, and shoot that mail!

What Should You Do When The Email IDs Are Not Easily Available

There might be instances when you are unable to find email ids of organisations or their team members on their websites. Then, how do you go about searching for contact details? Here are a few tips!

• Reach out to professionals in the family - Don’t hesitate in calling uncles, aunts, and relatives who might already be working for the organisations you also wish to work for. Discuss your aspirations with them, take their feedback about the organisation, and make a fair judgement about whether or not you want to apply for an opportunity.
• Ask your seniors - Connect with school and university seniors over LinkedIn and social media. Enquire if they could direct you to the right people in the organisations they are working for. Most organisations are always looking for interns and chances are, you might get the opportunity.
• Send requests - Connect with recruiters and senior management of the organisations you want to work with on LinkedIn. Be professional in asking them for an opportunity to work in their team.

Once you have the email id with you, your actual work starts, that is to pitch for yourself and convince the organisation as to why you would be a mutually good fit for each other.

Steps To Writing A Cold Email

Let us now take you through the steps to writing a cold email.

1. The Subject

This is the first thing somebody reads in their inbox. The subject is the door the addressee will open to enter the house. Make sure that the subject is concise, of around 6-10 words, and explains the intent of the mail.

Example: Application for Marketing Internship Opportunity

2. The Salutation

It always matters how you address the person you are writing to. Refrain from using the casual ‘Hi’. ‘Dear’ would be appropriate. If you know the name of the person, address it as ‘Dear NAME of the person’ , to make it professional.

3. The Body

Any good mail body has three paragraphs. Below is a breakup of how the mail should look.

Paragraph 1

The first paragraph answers the following questions-

• Who are you? It basically includes - your name, your credentials (namely school, grade/college name, university, and course
• Why the mail? The reason why you are writing the mail should clearly be stated. It's also a good idea to mention any reference you have or the source from where you got to know about the opening/opportunity (e.g. company website/ LinkedIn).
  
  
  

Divide The Email Body Into Four Parts

Paragraph 2

• Write about your interest in the position and why you would be a suitable candidate for the role. In brief, talk about your relevant experience and what you know.
• The addressee would want to understand how you would add value to the team by coming on board. Highlight your work and experience, and state data regarding the change your efforts have brought in the past. Give examples, maybe one or two relevant ones as you would also need to watch for the word limit.
• Any experience, whether it’s on a project, organising an event in your school/college, or volunteering, holds value and should be mentioned even if you think it's inconsequential.
• Give specific and relevant examples of your skills that would match the job applied for.
• Also, do some research on the kind of work the organisation is doing and why you are interested in the particular project.

Paragraph 3

• This is where you talk about what you are seeking. Give a direct line of communication as to how they can contact you.
• Emphasise your interest in the position and your excitement about contributing to the organisation.
• Don’t leave the whole conversation vaguely. Talk about what you feel should be the next line of action. For example, “I would love to discuss more about the role with you in person.”
• Be considerate and remember to thank them for their time.

4. The Signature

In the end, finish off by writing ‘Best Regards’, or ‘Sincerely’, with your name and contact number.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind while drafting the mail:

• Add a link to your work - If you have a sample of your work, attach the link and PDF in the mail for the recruiters to look at. You can also share a link to your social media profile if you are, for example, a graphic designer. This gives the recruiter a chance to take a deep dive into what you can do for them and how well developed are your skills.
• Different company, different letter - Tailor your letters differently for different companies, depending on what is the exact position you want to apply for.
• Proofread, know your content - Read and re-read your mail to check for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Ask your mentors, siblings, or friends to read, have a fresh set of eyes go over the draft before you send it out.
• Short, to the point - Ensure to not make your email very lengthy, the recipient might not want to spend too much time reading one email and close lengthy emails midway.
• Timing is everything - Draft the mail in your spare time, and send it across right in the morning so that they have a chance to see it first thing in the morning and remember it. This way, they are also likely to read it with a fresh mind and take action.
• Always follow up - Don’t overdo this but if you haven’t received a reply, you can always send a gentle reminder to check if they missed your mail by any chance.

To help you get a more concrete perspective, here is a cold email example.

Dear Mr. Sachin,

I am writing to you to express my interest in securing an internship at The Media Group. I came across the internship post on LinkedIn. I am a class 11th Student at Bal Shiksha School, Delhi, with a strong interest in writing, and a passion for ideation.

I have been a part of the editorial society of my school for the last three years. Currently, I am the society’s President, heading a group of five people. This has not only enhanced my skills as a writer and content creator, but has also helped me to build leadership and team-building qualities. I was also able to hone my research skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, and creativity while working with the team on various projects like the annual school magazine, the monthly school newsletter, and so on. In addition, I also write a blog; you may find my work on – rahulmalhotra@bloggers.com for your review.

I am extremely encouraged by The Media Group’s innovative approach to brand storytelling and strategy to engage its customers on social media, and believe that my academic background and experience in the editorial team have provided me with the credentials needed to thrive at your organisation as an intern.

I strongly believe that being a part of your team would enable me to create content not only from the client’s standpoint but also from the end users’ point of view, and enhance my skills as a working professional.

I would appreciate the opportunity for an interview with The Media Group for the Content Writing Internship. Please find enclosed my resume for your review. I can be reached via email at rahulmalhotra@emmail.com or by phone at +91 923567482. I enthusiastically look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Rahul Malhotra

In a world of resume spamming wherein the ones hiring are flooded with multiple resumes for a few positions, the value of a good cold email increases the possibility of an interview, a reply, or a call. To stand out, and to ensure that the recruiter opens your resume, you must learn the skill of writing quality cold emails.

Cold emails can elevate your career and help to establish long-term associations in the business world if used effectively. So, kickstart your professional journey by drafting a convincing cold email.

Parisraja Bajpai is an organizational psychologist, with extensive hands-on experience in talent acquisition, talent management, employee counselling, employee engagement, training and development. She is currently heading the HR department at Nexstgo.