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Reaching out to contacts at a company I want to work for
Hi all, looking for some advice on reaching out to a contact at a company I want to work for...again. I had a positive conversation with this contact about 6-months as I was seeking direction in her field of expertise, she was as helpful as I knew she could be. I just applied for a job at her company and I want to reach out again to see if she could put in a good word for me but I want to ask her professionally without sounding too needy to ask again for her help. Would a phone call or email be more appropriate? Is it needy to ask for help again or is that my insecurity coming through? Thanks for your thoughts!
Nicole FarrVirtual Project Manager
122
11/06/19 at 8:56PM UTC
Follow up: thank you again for the suggestions!
In case anybody else is referring to this post I wanted to share the results.
I did email my contact first thanking her for her guidance and support last we had talked. I briefly mentioned that I had applied for a position at her company and had hoped my skills and experience were a good fit for the position -(we had worked on a special project together for my previous company so that is our connection) - then I closed with offering my help, now I didn’t see myself in a position of being able to provide much help to her but I do network a lot and I offered to help make some connections if needed.
I am happy to report a positive response from her. She reached out and called the head of the department I applied for to share her experience working with me without me even mentioning such a favor. She also did have a request for my networking so I was even more thrilled that I did have something of value to offer her. Of course I have thanked her for making that call and am at work to hopefully fulfill her request.
Anonymous
11/06/19 at 12:28AM UTC
To chime in, maybe one more thing you could do is simply tell her that thanks to your conversation 6 months ago that you have applied for a role and you're really interested. I'd say if there is anything about the particular application process that she should be aware of (because companies are so different in this respect from each other), that you'd love to know. That way, you're approaching from a place of gratitude and circling back on closing the loop rather than asking for more first.
Nicole FarrVirtual Project Manager
122
11/06/19 at 1:03AM UTC
Thank you. I did send her an email with a similar sentiment, your advice helps me feel I approached her in the right way. I thanked her for her guidance and closed with offering my assistance to her should she need it.
User deleted comment on 11/05/19 at 9:12PM UTC
Sandra DiazI leverage data and systems to deliver results.
765
11/05/19 at 6:54PM UTC
I would approach her by saying you applied for this open position and are looking for her advice on how well your background and experience fits with what the team is looking for. I'd shy away from asking to "put in a good word" if you don't know her well and you haven't been in touch since. But, when you make this ask, make sure to ask about what she needs, so you can be helpful to her in the future and keep nurturing the relationship.
Nicole FarrVirtual Project Manager
122
11/05/19 at 9:13PM UTC
Thank you!
