When looking to gain work experience in your chosen industry, planning and persistence are a must. Rather than taking an unsystematic approach to finding and applying for opportunities, it is crucial to take targeted action so that you have the best chance of getting the right placements under your belt.
From finding the best person to contact to constructing the best pitch, read through Portfolio’s tips below to help you get a good response rate from the enquiries that you make.
How to approach via email
As you contact organisations to determine whether or not they have any opportunities for work experience, it is important to achieve the right balance between quantity and quality:
The ‘quantity’ approach
When firing off a lot of enquiry emails to companies, it allows you to get your name in front of many different people, but can sometimes do you more harm than good.
It is likely that the quality of your emails will not be up to scratch, especially if you have adopted a blanket approach. Savvy employers – the ones you want to work for – will see straight through these generic emails. And, if you do secure work experience through the method, you’re more than likely going to get an opportunity that is uninteresting and less beneficial to you.
The ‘quality’ approach
Spending hours crafting one perfect email has its benefits, as there is a higher chance your email will be seen by the right person, and that you’ll be considered. But, the hard truth is that the likelihood of your favourite company accepting work experience is actually fairly small. Even if the professional reading your email thinks you’re the perfect fit, factors such as time constraints, company policies, and even office space can impact on your chance of securing work experience.
The sweet spot
Take the positive qualities from both extremes – send as many good quality emails as you can within the time frame you have given yourself to complete the task. After writing an email to your preferred company, you’ll find that articulating a pitch to your second-favourite is much easier.
Who to contact
You can always find someone at a company to contact. Start with their website – there should be a ‘Contact Us’ page, containing information on the specific person you need to speak to or just a generic email address.
If the only address you can find is a variation of ‘info@’ ‘hello@’ ‘contact@’, save your pitch for now. Instead send a quick email asking for the details of the best person to contact. If you carry out your full pitch to a generic email address, it can be difficult to be personal and you may find that your enquiry is put to one side and forgotten about.
What to say
Getting work experience isn’t the same as getting a job, but the two techniques share similarities. Think of them both as mutually beneficial agreements.
When it comes to getting a job, the shared agreement is that your hard work and experience are exchanged primarily for cash. With work experience, the mutual agreement is that you trade your passion and existing experience for a first look at the industry you’re passionate about.
With this in mind, sell your passion, experience, and willingness to work hard in your emails. It helps to show some knowledge of the company too. Flattery is not forbidden!
Also, make it as easy as possible for the company to consider you by including the following details and tips:
- Address someone directly, don’t use ‘Dear Sir/Madam’
- Explain why you’ve chosen the company
- Be specific about what you want to gain from the experience
- Mention everything that might be relevant eg your blog, website, projects, or interests
- Be honest about your abilities, they might be tested
- Be upfront about the amount of time you can commit
Extra tips
Keep a log of everyone you’ve been in contact with
Whether you prefer pen and paper or a well-organised excel sheet, maintaining a record of who you have contacted can help you to see where you are up to with each company. This way you can be persistent, without becoming annoying.
Sometimes picking up the phone makes all the difference
The inboxes of important and successful people are rarely empty, and because of this your email might get buried. Sometimes a simple chat can make all the difference.
Check LinkedIn for company names
LinkedIn will tell you who works at the company. You’ll likely be able to find out what they do and even connect with them to send a message – just make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date first.
Don’t forget to add your CV
You shouldn’t rely on your CV to sell you, but it’s a good way for the company to get an overview of where you are in your education or career.
Alistair Hardaker is a Content Writer for Portfolio Procurement, which specialises in the recruitment of experienced procurement professionals.
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