How do you get a high-ranking executive in your network to help you with your job search? Recently a client of mine asked me how he or she could reach out to a CMO they know and ask if they could help with a job search. Many people make the mistake of being too casual when trying to reach out to these high-ranking people.
No one wants to say, “Hey, how are you? We haven’t seen each other in quite some time, why don’t you get in touch?” High-level professionals are incredibly busy, and especially in this tough job market of a white-collar job downturn, they are inundated with exactly those kinds of messages that come across as insincere.
Honestly and Humblely
When reaching out to senior executives in your network to ask for their help with your job search, it’s important to be open and a little humble. We suggest sending the following message to your senior executive connections:
“We haven’t talked in a while. To be honest, I’m in the middle of a job hunt right now and I was wondering if you could help me out on two fronts. First, there are a few people in your network that I’d love to meet and would love to have an interview with. Second, I was wondering if you could give me a tip or two on how I could get more contacts from people at your level and explore opportunities at those companies. Any advice or help you can give would be really appreciated. Your time is valuable and I know I really need the help.”
This maintains transparency; your request is very clear and you offer two concise ways to help. Again, executives are pressed for time and want to help you, but in order for them to help you, you need to make sure your request isn’t too vague or too onerous for them. A clear, direct request, along with gratitude and understanding on your part, will generate a response.
Hopefully, this high-ranking person will come back and introduce you or give you advice. But what’s interesting is that the people I’ve been mentoring have gotten bonus results: their message is very direct, and because so many people are inundating these high-ranking people with disingenuous, roundabout requests, they respect and appreciate the directness, and all of a sudden they say, “Well, let’s just talk on the phone for 10 minutes.”
When you respect other people’s time, they will be more likely to give of their time to you, especially when it comes to the executives in your network.
These are some tips and tricks that will help you get ahead in one of the most challenging white-collar job markets of a generation, so try these networking strategies out in your job search today.
Best of luck! Good luck!
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