Benefits of asking for career advice in an email
Asking for career advice in an email can help you better organize your ideas and show the recipient that you're respectful of their time. Emails tend to be less urgent than phone calls or in-person visits, allowing the recipient to answer your questions and provide their advice at a time that works best for them. Using email can ensure that they're able to take the time necessary to evaluate your request and respond to it effectively. Using email to request career advice can also help you be a little more detailed and prepared in your approach, whether you're sending the email to a college professor or a career coach. Taking the time to craft an effective email can help you better assess your specific situation and think about the type of advice that's most useful to you. The language and tone you use can allow you to focus on the most important details and modify your wording to be more professional and concise. Related: How To Ask for Career Advice: 6 StepsHow to ask for career advice in an email
Here are some steps you can take to ask for career advice in an email:1. Engage in research and preparation
Before you send an email, it's important to research the industry or job title that you have an interest in so that you can gain insight into the basic requirements for the career. This can enable you to design a more effective email and collect even more detailed information, rather than just the basics. Your research might include the career's educational requirements, salary range, job outlook and work-life balance. It may also include the geographic locations where you're likely to find the most jobs and the career advancement that's available to you.2. Create a list of potential contacts to email
In addition to researching basic information about a career, it's important to consider who you plan to email. Create a list of potential contacts to email, whether they're individuals you know personally or people who you're familiar with through your personal network. Even if you know who you want to contact for career advice, it's still important to research potential contacts who can provide you with the right advice, since not everyone uses email regularly. If you're planning on emailing a college or university professor, make sure that they have a reliable email address. If you're unsure who to email, you can research companies in the industry that you're interested in and check their websites to see if it's possible to email someone to request career advice. You can also use social media to ask professionals if they're willing to provide their emails to you. Networking events are another great way to meet professionals who may provide you with career advice and exchange emails with you. Many professionals at these events are willing to provide their business cards, which typically contain their contact information, including their email addresses.3. Create a compelling subject line
After deciding who you want to send the email to, you can begin planning your email by first creating a compelling subject line. A compelling subject line can increase the likelihood of the recipient opening your email and reading it in its entirety. Make sure your subject line is concise and straightforward without being overly simple. Effective subject lines provide just enough information to the recipient that they understand what the request is. Consider a subject line like, "Recent college graduate looking for advice" or "College student respectfully requesting career advice" rather than something basic like, "Hello." If you have a personal connection with the person you're emailing, it's important to include that connection in the subject line. This may increase the chances of the professional opening your email and responding to it. Stating your name in the subject line can also help personalize your email and prevent it from getting filtered into the recipient's spam folder. Related: How To Write an Email Subject Line That Gets Responses4. Describe yourself and your career interests
Briefly describe yourself and your interests in the career you're considering. If you're still in high school or college, you can discuss what you're currently studying and what grade you're in or what your current major is. You may also want to discuss your academic achievements. If you're a recent graduate, you can mention the college you attended and the date you graduated. This basic introduction is a good way to allow the recipient to get to know you a little better and learn where you are in your career. This way, they can prepare an answer that's more relevant. Related: How To Write About Yourself5. Discuss why you chose the recipient and request their advice
After introducing yourself, be sure to mention how you know the person and why you chose them to advise you in your career. Even if you don't know the professional personally, you can still discuss how you were able to find them, whether it be through a networking event or a friend or teacher. Keep your request succinct and try to ask a few relevant questions. You can also simply state your interest in the career by saying something like, "I have an interest in the medical profession and I'd love to learn more about potential specialties to consider."6. Express your gratitude for their advice
Let the recipient know how valuable their advice is and how much you appreciate their consideration and expertise. Recipients are often more inclined to respond when you're polite and you express your thanks properly. A thoughtful closing sentence can convey your desire to keep in contact with the recipient and demonstrate to them that you're interested in fostering a connection. Related: How To Express Gratitude in an Email (With Tips and Examples)7. Proofread your email
Before you send the email, read through it to make sure that you're using the right tone and wording. By proofreading your email, you can also fix any grammatical or spelling mistakes to ensure that your email is as professional as possible. You may also be able to omit certain details and add new ones while also ensuring that you stated your request clearly.8. Send a follow-up email
You can send a follow-up email to a recipient who you've already contacted before, respectfully reminding them of your request. It's a useful way to remind the recipient of your previous email with the aim of encouraging a response. Like your original email, it's important to keep your follow-up concise and professional. Try to send the email during regular working hours when most professionals are likely to open their inboxes. After you get a reply to your email, be sure to respond to it promptly and continue to communicate with your original recipient as your career progresses.Tips for using email to ask for career advice
Here are some tips to help you use email to ask for career advice successfully:Compliment the recipient
Let the recipient of your email know that you're impressed with the work that they're doing and that you have a lot of respect for them as a professional. By complimenting them, you can also demonstrate that you did your research and that you know something about their professional accomplishments. If your recipient has a recent achievement, consider congratulating them early in your email. This can help personalize your email and make it more relevant.Provide additional materials
Consider attaching your resume or a professional portfolio to your email. This can be a useful way to give the person you're emailing insight into your experience and skill set. It can also help you avoid using too many unnecessary words and keep your email easy to read. Make sure that your recipient is able to open your attachments before you send them with your email. Alternatively, you can choose to link your resume or portfolio in the body of your email.Highlight your passion
If you have a true passion for a certain career, be sure to convey that passion in your email. This can help professionals in the industry to connect with you more easily and be more honest with you in their responses. It also has the potential to help you build rapport with them early on, since you took the initiative to contact them for career advice. Try to be as specific as you can in your email and tailor it in a way that shows you're passionate about progressing in your career.Example of an email asking for career advice
Consider using this sample email to write your own request for career advice: Subject: Bioengineering student respectfully requesting your career advice Dear Professor Dyon, My name is Samantha Wiltes and I'm currently a junior majoring in bioengineering. I attend your 2 p.m. Biomechanics and Biomaterials lecture. As a seasoned professional who has extensive experience working in the bioengineering field prior to your teaching career, I'd love it if you could provide me with some insights into some of the typical positions in bioengineering. Currently, I have an interest in becoming either a medical technology developer or a biomedical scientist. I know you have experience in both of these positions building medical equipment and engaging in research to diagnose and treat rare diseases. I'd like to know what the benefits of each of these careers are and the skills that they both require. Any insight you're able to provide is deeply helpful to me. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully, Samantha Wiltes795-885-8921
samwiltes@email.com