Keep In Touch

Student meets creative director. Creative director likes student. Creative director goes back to work. Student goes back to school. Student graduates and contacts creative director. Creative director does not remember student. Student cries. The end.

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. 

Follow Up Email Template

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)

Sign off: Include all of your contact information, your book, your social security number (kidding.)

Reality Check: I don't remember you.

However, I will smile and laugh with you and pretend like I do until I remember or someone else comes by and helps me out.

Nothing against you in particular, it just happens sometimes.

Yes, we met before. We probably chatted and we may have exchanged business cards and a joke or two, however, I don't remember your name, or anything about you to be honest.

And I'm just me. I don't meet that many people. But imagine a creative director or a recruiter. Imagine how many emails they must get in a day. How many business cards they hand out. How many short conversations they have between here and there. It adds up and it's hard to keep track of every face, name and story.

This is why you have to stand out (I wrote about this here) and you cannot be afraid to remind people who you are.

In emails: Refresh their memory on when and where you met, maybe even give a reference to what you talked about to recreate the context and then state your business.

You don't have to attach photos or anything, just keep it simple: "Hey, I'm Julie, we met at the Nerdfest last Tuesday, I was wearing hot pink glasses."

In person: Don't be afraid to reintroduce yourself. Having a convo with someone who doesn't remember you is a waste of your time. Going through who you are a second time will help reenforce the information and hopefully they'll remember this time.

Don't act annoyed that they don't remember or try to hard to job their memory. Just start anew and try to do a better job of standing out. 

On LinkedIn: Always include a note with your invitation to connect. Say who you are and where you know them from.

I HATE getting messages that someone indicated that we're colleagues or friends when I have no idea who they are. (Lies! All lies!) I used to decline automatically (stranger danger) but I've started writing back and asking who they are, hoping it'd prompt people to realise we're not on Twitter, this is the grown up league.

Don't take the forgetfulness personally. And maybe it'll work to your advantage - consider it a second chance to leave a great impression. 

Interview: Things Recruiters Love + Hate

Nothing beats hearing it from the horse's mouth.  Five recruiters and headhunters share some of the things you do in emails that they love and hate.

LOVE:

E-mails that clearly feature your title, level, current gig, link, referral (if applicable), and whether you're into freelance, full-time, or both, and your breadth of experience. – Kati

When you inject a dose of personality into your email. So I can get a feel for who you are as a person. – Cecilia

Tell me how you came across my name: did someone refer you to me, Linked In, Twitter, etc.?  - Laura

Always make sure to leave full contact information including all links to portfolios. – Kimberly

Simplicity of navigating sites – Lori

When they send me a follow up link with updated work 6 months to a year later. I may not have had a job then, but I might in the future. – Cecilia

HATE:

When you ramble. 6 paragraphs are 4 too many. – Cecelia

Unfinished portfolios: if you can't coordinate your own book, my agency will have a difficult time hiring you and I will have a hard time placing you.  – Laura

Long-winded explanations of each piece of work. – Lori

There is nothing worse than a glaring typo. Check everything (spec copy, name of the person you're emailing, company names, etc). Typos are a reflection of your own attention to detail.  – Kimberly

People who are lazy email communicators, who type 'r' instead of 'are,' 'ur' for you're & your.  Please email me like I am a colleague, not your drinking buddy.  – Laura

Overkill on the follow-up; recruiters can definitely use follow-up e-mails, but please give us a couple days to respond before trying again. – Kati

There you have it. Be nice, be concise, be buttoned up and be patient.

See more email tips The Art of Emailing and Email Dos & Don'ts

Happy emailing!

Special thanks to my wonderful and informative interviewees:

Cecilia Gormam: VP, Director of Creative Services, Y&R/Wunderman Irvine & Owner, Creative Career Management 
Kati Llewellyn: Associate Creative Recruiter, Draftfcb Chicago

Kimberly Easley: VP, Director of Creative Resources/Recruiting, Publicis Modem NY
Laura Bonetti: Creative Recruiter, Kay & Black NY

Lori Greenberg: Co owner/president, Greenberg Kirshenbaum NY

The Art of Emailing

Advertising is kind of like dating. (Except I'm good at advertising.) The agency you want to work at is that hot guy or girl that everybody wants to get with.

How do you get his/her attention? How do you approach him/her? How do you make them see that you two will make the most beautiful kids together? And how do you get them to talk to you instead of the other jerkwads in the room?

The awkwardness, anxiety, insecurity and excessive sweating will  probably still be the same, but at least advertising you can approach that person via email, at home, in your pjs, with a tall glass of Pepto to calm your nerves.

Let's discuss the Art of Emailing.

1. Who to email:
a. Find out if you know someone who knows someone. If you can have someone that works at that agency introduce you to the creative recruiter or creative director, then all you have to do is jump in and start tap dancing.

If you can't get an introduction, then you have a bit more groundwork to do before you can start the show.

b. Ask around to find out who the best contact is. The creative recruiter is usually a good bet because they will have the scoop on all the open positions, so if they like you, they'll introduce you to the creative directors.

2. What to say:
a. Subject Lines. Be as clear as possible here. If someone recommended you contact the recruiter, drop their name. If you met them before, say when. If you are a one-legged copywriter with interactive experience from Buenos Aires, feel free to lead with that. Just don't bore their eyes to dryness with "Hello" or "Copywriter" or "Hire me."

b. Message. Greet the person by name then introduce yourself and state your case.

In 3 - 5 sentences, say who you are, why you're writing and what's so special about you.  (Here is where you do your fancy footwork.) Say why you like Agency X and why Agency X would like you. Include your link, one or two relevant skills, awards or fun facts.

Don't be generic. Don't just copy and paste. You wouldn't use some lame pick-up line on the hot chick/guy, so don't use the same old same old here either.


Keep it short, interesting and to the point. They get 982 emails a day (give or take 4) so make sure yours will stand out in their inbox and make them want to reply. (See yesterday's emailing tips

End by saying you'd love to talk more and give your contact information.

c. Spell check and proof read. 

d. Spell check again.

e. Send. 


3. What next: 
Wait. They may not answer for a few days, or at all. Follow up in a week and see if anything happens. (They're probably just busy and remember how I said work email and I aren't friends? I imagine it's less friendly to these folks.)



4. What if they reply: 

a. They like you. Write them back in a timely manner. Thank them for their time, show a bit more personality, and try to set up an in person meeting. See if you can do that in 4-5 sentences.

b. They don't like you. Write them back in a timely manner. Thank them for their time, show a bit more personality, and ask for specific feedback and offer to follow up in a few months when you or Agency X are in better places to get down.

5. What if they don't reply: 
If you still get crickets after 2-3 weeks, they're probably just really busy but are definitely thinking about you...Yeah...

Grap a Kleenex, keep working on your book and keep looking.

photo by David DeLaRosa

Email Dos & Donts

photo by: Aymane Remmal

Personally, I love email. Professionally, I've come to regard email the way most people view going to the DMV. You have to do it to get what you want but there's always too much involved for what should really be an easy thing... forms to fill out, lines, rules, etiquette, overcrowding, people with attitudes for no reason...

Sigh. But email isn't all bad. When used for good, not for evil, it's a great tool to advance your career.

It's a quick and easy way to interact with coworkers, connect with people you won't usually talk to and show your personality and skills.

It's also a quick and easy way to make yourself look like a fool.

(People have been fired over emails. Is that what you want to tell your mom the next time you call home? That an email did you in? That you were thwarted by Outlook? Don't be that guy.)


     Do                                                                                              

• add some personality (Be smart, witty and charming.)
• use adjectives and adverbs
• be clear and concise
• spell check and proofread. Then spell check again
• get to the point (People don't have all day.)
• end with next steps and/or questions
• keep it professional. (Save all of that banter for awkward elevator rides.)
• follow up if you don't hear back within a day or two. "Hey, just checking in about..." 

       Don't                                                                                    

• expect people to read between the lines and figure out what you mean
• use multiple or difficult to read typefaces or colors
• use emoticons, ALL CAPS or !!!! (Even one ! is too much. This is an office, not a monster truck rally)
• use slang, curses or unconventional spelling
• say anything flirty, sexist, racist, homophobic or political (even if they're doing it)
• email anything you don't want in writing
• send out invites to your band's show/charity walk/ birthday party/ thing no one cares about
• be sarcastic or flippant (they often come off the same in writing: rude)
• overuse the reply all button
• ignore emails. Always reply, even if it's a simple "Ok."