A couple of weeks ago I got the first email of what I think will be a short, successful job search campaign from Brandon Uttley.
Brandon was at a presentation I did in Charlotte, North Carolina a couple of years ago. Charlotte was one of my favorite trips… a delightful town, delightful culture, and really nice/cool people.
Enter Brandon’s Open Source Job Search newsletter (for lack of a better word). You can see it in its entirety here. Here’s my play-by-play breakdown:
1. Tells you what it is… and piqued my curiosity since I have never heard of an “open source job search.”
2. Can you help? ASK, people, ASK! If you don’t ask, people might not catch that you hope for their help!
3. In my email browser I didn’t open images, so it looked funky. Always provide this option (usually the newsletter software does this automatically). It points to this page.
4. In this image it’s clear what Brandon does, loves, specializes in and is looking for. Clear and concise.
1. Big news? I want to know about your big news… 🙂 Curiosity-piquing…
2. Again, ask for help! Make it clear this is not just an email with information, but a request.
3. This makes me feel special… I’m among the first to know? Cool… now I think you value our relationship. Make me feel special.
4. Again, again, again… ASK FOR HELP!
1. In case you forgot, or never really knew, this is who I am and what I’m looking for. The are industry or profession keywords that are critical. Assume people know about you, professionally, and you could be very wrong. Make it clear what they should think about you.
2. This reminded me a bit of “objective statements” on a resume, which are outdated… but I think it’s highly appropriate for this email. If asking for help and introductions and leads it makes sense to let me know what you want (full-time, not moving, etc.).
1. What? This isn’t one-sided, ask-only? You are going to help me? Nice… !
2. This entire email has an honest (aka, authentic) taste to it. Keep it real, no fluff… just like our relationship, and I appreciate that.
3. Notice the multiple ways you can contact me, or learn more about me. Scrolling down (which I don’t have a screenshot of) shows even more places you’ll find him, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
4. He is going to share his industry expertise? Cool, I’ll be sure to read.
5. Great addition of the photo… many will remember you but some might need the visual reminder.
Again, keeping it honest. I like that you share issues that others might bring up – address them head-on.
This is really helpful to the reader, who is likely in their own transition, or thinking about one. Getting this industry-leader input is really valuable for my own career, and I appreciate this GIVE tactic.
Can you do this? Yes, definitely. This might be too long, or too much, but remember, Brandon is a social media expert, and I would EXPECT him to do this. This series of newsletters (I’ve already gotten the second one) is essentially his PORTFOLIO. How better to show your grasp on all-things-social than to do something this classy and complete?
One last thing – Brandon says this strategy was inspired by DJ Waldow, who did this same kind of thing (check out the video on that post)… and later here’s his results.
Jason,
How fantastic of you to write about my approach to the job search!
After just two emails (and a little over two weeks on the hunt), the results continue to amaze me. I’m surprised how many people have found this approach a bit novel…it was less about being brilliant for me and much more about being extremely efficient.
Plus, after so many years talking about and practicing social media for others (clients), I wanted to see what would really happen when I reached out to my professional network for help. Lo and behold, so many have offered to assist that is a testament to building a strong foundation in terms of both connections, your reputation and what you can offer people in exchange for their time and attention.
As challenging as it is to search for a job, I didn’t want it to be a one-way street. I’ve always enjoyed sharing great tech tools and tips, so this part felt natural to me. I’m very happy to hear from people who are actually looking forward to my next email (vs. just dreading it).
The information you gave to the packed room in Charlotte a few years back really stuck with so many people, and that alone was inspiring. Thanks for reminding people to ask “what’s in it for them” when you’re seeking a job, or selling something.