Welcome to Edition #32 of Ask Gorick Anything. This AMA is part of Gorick's Newsletter, where Harvard career advisor and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Gorick Ng shares what they don't teach you in school about how to succeed in your career.
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→ Read time: 5 min
ASK GORICK ANYTHING
“How to network effectively on LinkedIn?”
Have a career question? Ask me here.
Subscriber’s question:
“How can a student apply the unspoken rules in LinkedIn outreach, especially now that LinkedIn feels saturated and transactional?”
—Medhavi Pandit from Philadelphia, PA, USA
Gorick’s response:
Hi Medhavi,
I completely agree with you that networking, especially online, can feel transactional and artificial. In fact, I met a college student just the other day who told me that she uses ChatGPT to write all her professional emails. This made me wonder: How many responses is she receiving that are also written by AI? 😱
(In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a fan of writing your own emails, at least to start. Professional communication is a life skill—so kudos on wanting to learn!)
In the end, strong cold emails satisfy 4 criteria: They are…
1. Concise
2. Specific
3. Direct
4. Relatable
How to be concise
Re-read every word of your message and ask yourself: “If I removed this word (or sentence), would the reader miss anything?”
If “no,” remove the word or sentence or rewrite the sentence entirely.
E.g., Don’t say, “I could not have imagined a better opportunity to be exposed to such a mission-driven group of professionals.” Instead, say, “I am inspired by your work.”
How to be specific
Put yourself in the shoes of your recipient and ask yourself, “Does this sentence give me a clear mental image?”
If “no,” add an example, name, or detail.
E.g., Don’t say, “I’m interested in a career in tech.” Instead, say, “I’m interested in a career in propulsion engineering.”
How to be direct
Put yourself in the shoes of your recipient and ask yourself, “Is it obvious what I’m supposed to do with this email?”
If “no,” put your CTA or call to action (defined here!) up front in its own paragraph.
E.g., Don’t say, “I’d appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your work.” Instead, say, “Might you be open to a 30 minute phone or video call over the coming 2 weeks? I’m available at…”
How to be relatable
Put yourself in the shoes of your recipient and ask yourself, “Do I have enough of an emotional reason to help this stranger?”
If “no,” add more details about what you have in common and any obstacles you’ve overcome that get the reader invested in you.
E.g., Don’t say, “I’m a senior at UC Berkeley.” Instead, say, “I’m a senior at UC Berkeley who is, like you, a fellow first-gen college student and member of the varsity swim team.”
What does this look like in practice? This:
SUBJECT: 30 min call? UC Berkeley first-gen interested in GE Aerospace
Hi Jim,
My name is Olivia and I am a senior at UC Berkeley who is, like you, a fellow first-gen college student and member of the varsity swim team. I am interested in GE Aerospace’s Manufacturing Engineering Development Program and learning more about your experiences, especially as a fellow MET grad.
Might you be open to a 30 minute phone or video call over the coming 2 weeks?
My schedule is open and flexible after 10am ET Mondays-Thursdays.
Specifically, I am wondering how you decided to join GE, whether you’d recommend the M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering you attended, and any advice you’d have for a fellow first-gen (and international student if I’m interpreting correctly from your LinkedIn profile).
I'd love to follow in your footsteps and look forward to hearing from you,
Olivia Hsu
[Phone number]
[Your LinkedIn profile]
Remember: People are busy! Even the most well-crafted messages can go unanswered. If you haven’t heard anything after a week, follow up! Still no reply? Move on. It’s a big world!
One last tip: Not everyone checks LinkedIn (and those who do may have their inboxes flooded with messages), so, when in doubt:
(a) see if you can find someone who can introduce you to your desired contact, and/or
(b) try to get into their direct email inbox (either by looking them up in your school’s alumni directory if they’re an alum, or your company’s alumni directory if one exists, or by guessing their email).
Hope this helps!
See you Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,
Gorick
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