How to Get a Job Interview at Any Company

Send a personal email.

I've been on the receiving end of resumés, emails, and cover letters for about eight years now. In that time, I've seen three cold emails that really nailed it. They were so good, I instantly scheduled a meeting with the person, even if we weren't hiring in an area they were looking for. But they got an opportunity to convince me that we should. And sometimes, they did.

Send a personal email. A real personal email. Not one that looks like a personal email. In other words, not a: "Give me a job at [company] because I am good at [item A], [item B] and [item C]." email.

Another way to think about it: the amount of time you spend writing the email is proportional to the attention it will receive on the other end.

What follows is a real-world example of an email I received that worked; an interview came out of it. I've deconstructed it to highlight how to write an effective cold email. Nothing in this example should be copied and pasted. The point is to give you an idea of how you can write your own.

Hi there,

Never put "Dear hiring manager" or "To whom it may concern," or "Dear sir or madam." It screams "form letter."

I'm excited to apply for the [position] role. Localist goes beyond the typical calendar tool and creates a true marketing experience by incorporating SEO, branding, conversion focused landing pages, and more. I would love to be part of a company that is delivering new value to its clients by not only centralizing and branding events, but also by providing a full service software for capturing analytics and creating an interactive user experience.

Awesome. No individual qualifications up-front. That comes later. It starts by establishing credibility by proving they did some research on who we are and what we do. This can be accomplished by simply scanning a page or two on our website. That tiny bit of initiative is all it takes to get ahead in this process. It does not say "I need a job." I'm assuming this person is moderately happy where they are, but are interested in us nonetheless. Most importantly, it starts with "here's what I can do for you," not "what can you do for me?" I'll bite.

For the last [x] years, I've worked as a [position] at [company], a [description that has segments and messaging in an industry similar to Localist] company. Prior to this role, [more experience that is directly relevant to the position we're looking for]. In both positions, events were a crucial component to business development and retention marketing and in both cases, we were not using any tool geared toward those initiatives. I have witnessed firsthand the need for your product and am excited for an opportunity to be helping other organizations realize this need as well.

No mention of experience that isn't directly relevant to the position we're hiring for. Nor should there be. If you're selling a car to someone who only cares if it has automatic windows, why waste time talking about the tires, or miles per gallon? This paragraph, while slightly wordy, doesn't have much "fat." It's all good stuff that only reinforces that this person is worth talking to.

As a [career type], I embrace change, take chances and am not afraid to fail.

Demonstrating an understanding of the type of company we are (one that looks for entrepreneurial spirit), and emphasizing a strength there. For example, if this person were applying for an accounting role, this sentence would emphasize accuracy and attention to detail more than taking risks and embracing change.

I believe that my [qualifications] make me uniquely qualified for the [position]. I look forward to this potential opportunity and hope to hear back soon.

Thank you for your time.

[name]

That's it. This email was all about us, and couldn't have been written without a thorough read of our site, and the job description. It sounds simple, but like I said, I've only received three in the past eight years that have done this.

Who do you send the email to? The CEO if you're after a VP position, or higher. Email the VP of the division if you're after any other level.

The point of this email isn't to get you the job. You still need to determine if the job is even a good fit for you. It's to get you an interview.