How To Ask Someone To Consider Your Resume

Preview All Messages On Your Phone

As mentioned earlier, your email message is most likely going to be opened first on a phone. Therefore, its wise to understand what your message will look like in mobile email apps. What seems digestible on a massive desktop screen often looks like _War and Peace _on a mobile phone. Preview your message on the small screen, and if it still looks way too long, ruthlessly edit it again. If your message gives the impression of being overwhelming, its probably going to get ignored.

Make sure your emails look great everywhereand perform wellwith our guide to a/b testing your emails, which includes tools to test your emails on mobile.

If you think this all sounds like a lot of work for a little old email, think about it this way: If you take the time to consider your audience and tailor your message to their attention span up front, your emails will be more effective, you will be more likely to get what you want, and you will ultimately have to spend less time on email. Isnt that what everybody wants?

Want a better app to help you manage your own email inbox? Check out our roundup of the , or use our to optimize Gmail for your workflow.

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What Should You Say In An Email Asking For A Reference

• Start with a greeting and a pleasantry. Its better to smoothly transition to your reference request, rather than starting with it right away that may seem rude.;
• Reminder of who you are . Its helpful to refresh their memory by briefly stating who you are and what your professional relationship was.;
• Explain where youre heading careerwise. This lets them know youre applying for a new job.
• Phrase your request politely. You have to ask them in a way which wont pressure them into saying yes, and will let them gracefully refuse.
• Include details about the job. Your reference is surely a busy person, so make sure to save them the time of looking for the job description themselves. This lets your reference prepare for giving a relevant recommendation. Keep it brief.
• Attach your resume. Its important that your reference has all the updated information about your work history, because it lets them make a proper and relevant recommendation.
• Contact information. Firstly, give them your contact info in case they want to call you up and ask questions. Secondly, make sure their reference contact information is correct .
• Thank them. End your email by thanking them for their consideration. If they agree with providing a reference for you, send them a follow-up email expressing your gratitude as well.

Dont forget to include a professional subject line for reference request: Your Name Reference Request

Find Someone To Help Make An Introduction

When asking someone to put in a good word for you, you want to make sure that the person you choose is directly connected to whoever is going to make the final decision which in most cases will be the hiring manager. Tom Dezell, the author of Networking for the Novice, Nervous, or Naïve Job Seeker, says to use your connections strategically, and consider who can help the most during this process. I recommend first reaching out to the connection you have the strongest relationship with at a company, he says.

People who know you well will be more equipped and more likely to recommend you, because he or she has firsthand knowledge of your skills and abilities! However, you want to be sure that this person can help facilitate a meaningful connection for you and put in a good word that counts. For instance, your best friend may work at your dream company, but if she doesnt know the hiring manager, she may not be the best person to make the connection.

You need to get to someone that has influence that can help you find the hiring manager or contact someone in HR, says Neal Schaffer, global social media speaker and author of

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If Youre Asking A Question Propose A Solution

Email is not a good venue for debate. Thus, messages that offer nothing but a question like “What do you think about X?” are generally ineffectual. Busy people dont want to figure out your problems for you, and they dont want to write a lengthy response. They want to say yes or no and then move on to the next thing. So if you want to get a responseand to get your waydont just pose questions: Propose solutions.

Lets imagine youre emailing your boss to ask if you can attend a conference. You could write:

Hi TinaI noticed that people are already booking hotels for the SXSW conference next year. Id like to go. What do you think?

Or, you could write,

Hi TinaIve been thinking about ways to enrich my work skill set, and it looks like there are some speakers and workshops at SXSW next year that would be very helpful. I can also put together a report to share what Ive learned with the team after I return. Ive estimated the cost, and it looks like a ticket, hotel, and airfare would run the company about $2,500. Do you think the company could sponsor me to attend?

Mistake #: Not Preparing Your References

Many hiring managers will let you know in advance when theyre going to contact your references. So, if possible, you should give your references a heads-up to let them know who will be contacting them, and supply them with an .

Pro tip: Share the job description with your references, so;they can gain a good sense of the position youre applying for.

Depending on how long its been since you held the job, you may have to refresh the persons memory about specific projects you worked on or results you delivered that can be used as talking points.

Also, consider asking your references to speak to certain skills, such as leadership, reliability, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. Recent research from the Society for Human Resource Management found that employers care more about these particular soft skills than they do technical abilities like reading comprehension or mathematics.

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How To Ask For A Reference

Phrase your request carefully.;Try to phrase your request in a way that does not make the person feel put on the spot. Rather than simply saying, Will you be a reference for me? ask them whether they feel;qualified or comfortable;providing you with a reference. This gives them an opportunity to say no if they do not feel like they could provide you with a strong, positive reference.

Include all the details.;Be sure to include all information that the person needs in order to give you a proper reference. It’s a good idea to include a copy of your resume with your request, so your reference giver will have your most current employment history. You should also tell the person what;jobs you are applying for, so they can begin to think of how they might answer certain questions.

Use postal mail or email.;You can send your request via regular mail , or by email. If you’re using email, put your name and request in the subject line, so your message gets opened:

Subject:;Your Name – Reference Permission

Edit your correspondence carefully.;Because you are asking this person to speak to your professional qualifications, be sure you come across as professional in your letter. Read through the letter for any;spelling or grammar errors. If you send a letter by mail, make sure you use;business letter format.

Template For An Email To The Hiring Manager:

Email subject line:

Email body:

Dear ,

My name is and Im applying for your that I heard about from . I have an excellent record of and know that my skills and knowledge would benefit your company.

Attached, please find my resume and . Should you require anything else, do let me know.

I look forward to discussing further details about .

Sincerely,

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Consider Your Resume Length

Resume length is a controversial subject. Most resumeexperts agree that a resume should be kept short. Unless you’ve got many years of workexperience, one page is probably long enough.

While you may be tempted to list complete details for everyposition you’ve ever held, keep in mind that most HR professionals decide veryquickly whether to move your application forward in the hiring process. It’s inyour best interest to edit out any irrelevant details.

For a complete discussion of resume length, read this Envato Tuts+ tutorial:

• Charley Mendoza

Write A Resume Summary

A resume summary appears at the top of your resume and provides hiring managers with a brief understanding of your relevant skills and experience. Create a resume summary that includes the years of experience you have as a nanny, the type of experience you have and any strong adjectives that best describe you as a professional employee.

Read more:A Guide To Writing a Resume Summary With Samples

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How To Ask For Time To Consider A Job Offer

If you receive a job offer which youre interested in but need more time, its important to stay positive and professional. You need to convey to the employer that you are keen and motivated.

Always start by thanking them for the job offer and by showing your interest in working for the company. Often the job offer is made by email which gives you some time, but sometimes its made in the second interview. In these cases,;resist the urge to answer on the spot. Unless its your dream job and theyre offering you exactly what you were looking for or more!

Even if you know you want to accept the job, requesting time to consider a job offer gives you the opportunity to carefully weigh up the positions pros and cons. It can put you in a stronger position to negotiate your salary.

After youve thanked the employer, ask if theres a deadline to respond to the job offer. The employer is unlikely to say now as this is unreasonable, then youll know exactly how long you have. Typically employers will give you up to a week to decide.

Be Specific With Your Request

Now that youve found the right connection, established common ground, and researched how a referral can be made, now its time to get specific about what you need. Maybe its an email, phone call, or personal introduction, or youre applying directly through a companys website and would like to list a connection on your application. Regardless, be sure to do your research and have a specific ask for people the more respectful and clear, the better.

No matter what your ask is, Dezell recommends figuring out who the hiring manager is first and if that info isnt immediately apparent asking if your connection can share that information with you. The contact you want a referral or introduction to is the hiring manager in the department you hope to work at the company, says Dezell. Always ask the connection, no matter how strong, who that individual is.

Always stay professional, but if you know your connection very well , your request might be a bit less formal: Hi, ! Im applying to and I noticed you are connected to on LinkedIn. Do you think youd be comfortable passing my name along to them, and putting in a good word? Know that even if youre asking a close friend, it doesnt necessarily mean theyll get you the job nothing is guaranteed, but its always worth the ask!

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Email Text Message Or Private Message On Facebook

As a general rule, the more personal a communication medium is, the higher your success rate.

You should send a text message rather than an email if you’re asking a favor from a friend. Here’s a text message sample:

Hi John, I’m looking forward to moving from my job and I noticed you’re friends with that works at .

I want to apply for a job there. Can you please forward my resume to ? Thanks!

Text messages should always be smaller than emails. But they are more powerful because they’re harder to ignore.

Does Linkedin Have A Live Chat

Notes: You can also click Live chat at the bottom of the page to chat with a representative online, but this option wont always be available. You can access LinkedIn Help at any time from the LinkedIn.com site. Simply click the Me icon at the top of your homepage and select Open Quick Help from the dropdown.

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Draft Your Talking Points

At this point, youve updated your resume, but people will find it much easier and quicker to look at a short, bulleted list of where youve been and where you want to go . This should take no more than 10 minutes to pull together, but it will reap serious rewards.

In it, you should include:

What About Social Media

Posting on Facebook and LinkedIn to let your family andnetwork know about your job search is commonplace now, but is it effective? It might work for some people, but the lack of comments on such postssuggest its not always the case:;

And here’s another one:

This doesnt meanasking your network for a job is a waste of time. You just have to be selective about who you ask, and how you frame therequest. Networking, after all, is a give and take process. Youre supposed todo your research and talk to the right people to collect information, whichwill eventually lead to job opportunities. You cant just ask for a job andexpect to get one.

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What Can I Expect During The Writing Process

Once you select a service;and place your order, the resume writing process typically consists of the following steps: information gathering, writing, and revisions.

Information Gathering

Your writer will gather information from you and learn more about your background via a questionnaire, phone call, or in-person meeting.

Some resume writers dont require or provide a phone consultation. However, we have found this to be one of the most valuable components of the process.

Skilled resume writers have strong interviewing skills.

Theyll ask you specific, thought-provoking questions that allow them to articulate your accomplishments as effectively as possible.

If you only communicate with your writer via email, you may miss out on the opportunity to highlight valuable information that you;didn’t think to include on your own!

Writing

Your writer will craft your document based on your consultation and information provided, ensuring that it is ATS-friendly and tailored to the types of roles you are targeting in your search.

Because this is the most critical element of the process, you should choose to work with a reputable writer you can trust.

Revisions

After you receive your document, you will have the opportunity to review it and provide feedback.

When you receive your first draft, it should already be strong enough for you to use for applications.

However, you should allow time for two to three rounds of minor revisions before arriving at your perfect document.

What Makes A Good Network

A good networker has two ears and one mouth and should use them each proportionately. Listen to peoples needs and concerns and find opportunities to help them. In many ways, networking is about connecting the dots, but to do that, you have to listen so you can help people make the connections theyre looking for.

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Avoid The Applicant Tracking System

The sad truth is that many resumes never make it to a human.They’re weeded out by Applicant Tracking Software . You can improve yourchances of making it through the ATS by using keywords and key phrases and byformatting your resume specifically for the ATS. Learn more in these tutorials:

But, the best way to make sure a human sees your resume isto give it directly to a human. This tactic bypasses the ATS and can ensurethat your resume gets the attention it deserves.

Asking For A Reply In A Formal Email

After writing a good email using the simple tips guiding an effective email writing, and you still you do not get a response; then it’s time you write formally asking for a reply to your email. Here are some important things to do when asking for a reply.

• Do not be in a haste to do a follow-up. Wait for a few days, you may wait for about two days. If you do not get a response then you can send a message reminder. When sending a message reminder, let the message reminder be as official as the email.
• Be sure to come up with the right intention.
• If it is urgent, say so and explain briefly why it is urgent.

For example,

Dear Mr. Jonathan Sean,

I am yet to get your response as regards the names sent to you for promotion. Kindly give your reply, as your response is very important to us.

Thank you, sir.

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Are There Any Guarantees

Because your resume is just one component of the job search process, trustworthy resume writers should not guarantee that you will receive interviews or job offers as a result of using their services.

When you apply for a job, many variables determine whether you will be offered an interview or ultimately be hired that are completely out of the writers control:

• Your fit for the role and experience
• Your educational background
• The quality of other applicants
• Your networking strategy and effort put into the job search
• Your preparation for and performance during the interview;

However, you can rest assured that professional resume writers will help you identify and articulate your strongest credentials to recruiters in the best way possible.

Interested in learning more about our services? Book an informal call to discuss your experience and requirements in more detail.

You can also email or call 428-6048. We look forward to hearing from you!