Keep in touch with people you meet to keep yourself on their radars and in their minds.
Every time you meet someone new, send them a follow up email afterwards so that you stay visible, show that you appreciate them and most importantly, start a dialogue.
Even if you won't graduate in a year or so, or won't be looking for a new job for a bit, every few months, drop a note with a quick update about your progress and anything you've seen/heard about their progress. Don't just write to say hi. Y'all are not friends. Always write with a purpose, be clear, concise and personable. See my previous emailing tips here: The Art of Emailing.
Look, I'm going to make it easy for you. Here's a basic template to follow when emailing in general. And remember, keep it short, sweet and to the point. People are at work and don't have time to read your novella.
Subject: Your name + reminder of how you know each other. Or something funny/ eye-catching. (This is a great time to show off your headline writing skills)
Body:
- Greeting: Address the person by name "to whom it make concern" is like shoving a cold metal pole up... Oh look, an eagle!
- Thanks: Thank them for whatever they did last you met. Talking to you, giving you feedback, adding you on LinkedIn, supervising you during your internship, cutting your hair into a mohawk.
- Recap: Remind them where they know you from/ how you met. Add something they said or did the affected you if applicable. Describe yourself and something you did/said if it was memorable. "On the last episode of..."
- Request: Be direct about why you're writing and what response you'd like from them. Is it just to share the updates of your book or tell them you graduated and are looking? what ever it is, be clear. Ask a question too, it gives them a reason to respond.
- Closing: Thank them (again), add a touch of personality and look forward to a future connection. (So they know you want a response and possibly more)
