Following up with an Employer

For those of you who met with employers today at the Science and Engineering Fair, or for those of you who have met with employers in the past couple weeks, it is important that you remember to follow up with those contacts. This is a great way remind them of who you are, which could help bring your resume to the top of the pile if the employer remembers you favorably.

You might be wondering how to follow up with an employer. Here are a few things to keep in mind when emailing an employer after speaking with them at a career fair or information session:

• Timing – be sure to send an email within two days of speaking with the employer.
• Thank them – any easy way to start off an email with an employer is to thank them for the time they spent talking with you.
• Remind them – give them some information about where you spoke with them and what you talked about. Mentioning something specific can help demonstrate that you were listening and that this isn’t a generic thank-you email. You can also reaffirm your interest in working at that organization.
• Action – be sure to include some sort of action in your message. This can be as simple as saying that you are letting them know that you will be applying to their position. It can also be a request to meet with them for coffee to learn more.

Here is an example of a follow up email:

Dear Helen Jones,

It was so nice to meet you yesterday at the Science and Engineering Career Fair at the University of Washington. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I enjoyed learning more about your day working as a product manager. I never realized that you work with people from all over Microsoft that are working all over the world. My interest in working at Microsoft has only heightened since talking with you and I will be applying to your internship opportunity in the next couple days. Thank you again for your time and I hope to be speaking more with the Microsoft team.

Best regards,
Sally Student

Remember to keep your emails short and sweet; a long email could be a turn off. Also remember that this email is not a way for you to ask for a job. The purpose is to 1) serve as a reminder of who you are, 2) reiterate your interest in working at their company, and/or 3) continue a conversation so you can learn more.

TOP JOBS/OPPORTUNITIES:

• *Multiple Undergraduate TA positions at the iSchool*: apply via iCareers
• Museum Digital Archives Internship, Button Museum: apply via iCareers, ID 3162
• Data Visualization Intern (SU 2016), Amplero: apply via iCareers, ID 3568
• Transit Engineering Library Management Intern, King County Department of Transportation: apply via iCareers, ID 3575
• Spring Technology Research Internship, Federal Trade Commission: apply via iCareers, ID 3574

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• 10/29, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Interviewing Lab, MGH 134
• 10/30, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Startup Internship/Career Fair, Startup Hall, 1100 NE Campus Pkwy #200
• 11/2, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Career Strategies for International Students, MGH Commons
• 11/4, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Employer Info Session: Expeditors, MGH 258
• 11/5, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Negotiation Workshop, BLD 070