Career Networking Email and Letter Samples
You might not think a simple email can help you find a job, but you’d be wrong.
Whether you’re searching for a new job, want to learn more info about a specific position, or are simply looking to build your professional connections, networking emails can help you achieve it all — if done right.
This article will teach you the ins and outs of networking emails, including what they are, when you should use them, and tips for writing them. We’ll also show you several examples of great networking emails you can use as inspiration.
What is a networking email?
Networking emails are emails that you send to establish new connections with business professionals or nurture existing relationships.
Any form of networking can help you land a job or build your career. However, emails are especially useful since they enable you to build meaningful relationships with your connections without having to meet in person.
Emails are also very personal since you can address your connections directly as opposed to addressing a group of people at an industry event or in a group chat.
Furthermore, almost all business professionals use email. In fact, in 2020, there were over 4 billion email users in the world. This number is predicted to grow to 4.6 billion in 2025.
Learn how to ask for a referral via email here.
When should you network by email?
Here are the four main instances in which you should network by email.
You’re located in different areas
In-person networking opportunities are extremely limited — especially with the ongoing global pandemic. Using emails to network means that you don’t have to meet your connections in person but strengthen your relationships with them via email instead.
When you meet new people through social networking platforms, you can continue to communicate with them through email, making it far easier for them to get to know you and vice versa.
You want to meet in person
In some cases, email networking can lead to in-person meetings. If you’ve identified a connection who lives in the same area as you do, you can consider inviting them to an in-person meeting at a restaurant or coffee shop to get to know each other better.
You want to ask for an informational interview
An informational interview is an interview in which a person seeks insights into a specific industry or career path. By requesting an informational interview over email, you’ll be able to schedule a phone or video interview with other professionals who can give you the information that you need.
You want to follow up with a contact or thank them
After a brief phone call or meeting with a person, you might want to build a relationship with them by sending them a follow-up email.
You can send them a “thank you” email that thanks them for your interaction and opens the door to new conversations so that you can build your relationship further.
Learn how to write “thank you” networking emails.
Top 5 tips for writing a networking email
Here are the top five tips you need to follow when writing a networking email:
1. Start with research
When you reach out to a new professional contact, it’s essential that you know more about them than their name, job title, and company.
Before reaching out to them, you should do some research to find out more information, such as the companies they worked for in the past, their career highlights, what university they went to, etc.
This will allow you to tailor your message to them, instantly making your email more personal and making them like you more.
2. Choose a good subject line
According to Invespcro, 47% of people open their emails solely based on subject lines. This means that if your subject line looks spammy or unprofessional, the recipient won’t even open it.
When choosing a subject line, you should ideally include the contact’s name, keep it short and sweet, and, most importantly, be friendly.
Your networking email subject line should follow the following rules:
3. Start with an introductory paragraph
Make sure that your introductory paragraph is specific and gets straight to the point. Explain who you are (if you’ve never personally met the recipient) and the reason for your outreach.
If you have a mutual connection, you should mention them, as this will instantly make the recipient trust you more than if you just send a cold email.
4. Move on to the body of your email
In your second paragraph, you should provide some context to explain why you’re asking for their help/advice/time.
Tell them more about yourself (but keep it short).
Make it persuasive.
Give them only the most relevant information.
5. End the email with a closing paragraph/sentence
Your closing paragraph should thank the recipient for considering your request and include a call-to-action to let them know what steps they should take next if they want to connect with you and discuss the matter further.
Networking email examples
Below are examples of networking emails for different types of contacts:
Networking email to a stranger
Subject line: Trish, looking for insights into ABC Restaurant
Hello Trish,
My academic advisor, Mr. Ryan Smith, recommended you as a great person to ask about the work environment at ABC Restaurant. I am writing to see if you’d be willing to meet with me, either over the phone or in person, to discuss your impression of ABC Restaurant as an employer.
As a native Californian with a passion for cooking, my dream has always been to work in a restaurant like ABC. To this end, I majored in Culinary Arts at The Culinary Institute of America and am now ready to begin assessing potential employers.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
John Brown
Network email to someone you’ve met briefly
Subject line: Nice meeting you, Trish!
Hello Trish,
It was a pleasure meeting you at the Food Conference last week. I enjoyed our chat about advances in the beverage industry and how these developments are changing consumers’ buying behavior.
After we talked, I found an interesting article about more predictions and thought I would share it with you.
I'd love to schedule a quick call or meeting so that I can pick your brain for more tips and suggestions. Please let me know when you'd be free to chat.
Best,
John Brown
Nurture networking email
Subject line: A quick hello (and congrats on the expansion!)
Hello Trish,
I hope everything is going really well. I was browsing through the ABC Gourmet newsletter earlier this week, and you came to mind. I just thought I’d check in to see how everything is going.
I saw that ABC Restaurant is expanding. It looks like you’re growing, and I’m really excited for you!
Kind regards,
John Brown
Network email to a hiring manager
Subject line: Request to chat about the Restaurant Manager position
Dear Trish,
I hope this email finds you well! I just applied for your Restaurant Manager position that I found through your Facebook Ad. I’m reaching out to see if you have ten minutes to talk about the role and what specifically you’re looking for in a candidate.
I think this role would be a great fit for me, and I’d like to hear more about the experience and skills required for this position and any advice that you could give me.
If you’re willing, please let me know what your calendar looks like so we can set up a meeting.
Kind regards,
John Brown
Network email to a mutual contact
Subject line: Reaching out to you via Lori Williams
Hi Trish,
My name is John Brown, and I’m currently a Senior Chef at ABC Restaurant. Our friend, Lori Williams, shared your contact info with me and mentioned that you’re the Head Baker at XYZ Coffee Shop.
With our combined interest in the culinary industry and our knowledge of different cuisines, she thinks we’d have a lot to learn from each other and that we should connect.
Please let me know if this is something you’d be interested in, and if so, if you’d like to grab a coffee with me so that we can get to know each other better.
All the best,
John Brown
Ready to write a great networking email?
By using the writing tips and networking email samples in this article, you can write your next networking email with confidence, knowing that it’s short, sweet, and effective.
Are you looking for other ways to find a job besides networking? Head over to our expert guide to finding a job that’ll show you different strategies you can follow to find your dream job.