5 Tips for Mentor-Seeking, Cold-Contacting Professionals and Job-Hunting in Your Industry 

Find the Right Time
This is of the utmost importance. Depending on the industry in which you aspire to work, look to make contact during a part of the year when the workload is lightest. For example, if you want to work in sports, the weeks leading up to the season, or early on in the schedule, are the worst for sports professionals. So target the off-season – perhaps a few weeks after the season ends.

On the other hand, if there isn’t a natural lull in the industry, check out the company’s website – has it made any recent announcements? Is the organization in the midst of a big project? If your target mentor has social media accounts, check his or her status. Twitter and Instagram are two great ways to see what a person is doing. Why this is important: it’s frustrating for a professional to receive a non-time-sensitive email when in the midst of a crisis or planning a huge event – and having this happen can reflect poorly on you and the awareness you have surrounding the company.

Find the Right Person
Research different companies and the various positions within it. Utilize LinkedIn to find potential mentors and pay attention to how they describe their job. When you cold-email or call an individual, it’s really important that it’s someone within the exact scope of the job you hope to pursue: for instance, if a marketing position is your goal, don’t email someone in Human Resources or Public Affairs.  Reaching out to someone whose background and current role have nothing in common with your own career goals will make you look as though you didn’t do your research or lack basic knowledge about the department and/or industry.

Also, if it’s possible, attempt to make in-person/phone contact with a professional in your market. Many times, it’s easier for someone to take an hour out of the week for coffee or lunch, or even a phone call, instead of spending time answering questions via email.

Use Correct Grammar and Deliver a Simple, Concise Message
In an age of social media and trying to fit life in 144 characters or six seconds, it seems to have become more socially acceptable to use very casual, informal writing in the business world. With that said, if you are making contact with someone you have never met, make sure to use proper grammar and keep the message professional. It’s okay to utilize colorful writing to show your personality, but there is a middle ground between saying, “Hey…what’s up?” and “To Whom It May Concern” that leaves a positive impression from a presentation standpoint, yet is concise and to the point. This article provides tips to help balance professionalism with personality when emailing someone in a business context.

Include a Résumé
Even the professional who is most open to cold-contact emails has to be efficient with his or her time – so while a long message detailing your experience sounds great, it’s important to be mindful that a résumé can tell that story. In other words, use the body of the email to express your passion and tell a Cliff Notes version of your personal tale – your résumé will provide all the basic information surrounding your experience.

And by all means, keep your résumé current and do your research – there are great articles out there to help format and author your experience so that it’s as impactful as possible.

Don’t Give Up
Remember to have realistic expectations when reaching out to professionals in any industry. Not everyone is going to respond and, if and when they do, it may take them a little bit of time to get back with you.  Everyone prioritizes actively helping young professionals differently – for some, they may save those emails for a down period in the year, or may file them in a folder in their inbox that may be visited once a month or not at all. Don’t get discouraged – instead, keep attempting to make contact: start with five professionals whose positions interest you and go from there.