Don't get the cold shoulder with a cold call

Cold calling — contacting a company that has no postings for jobs you're qualified for — is one of the toughest things some job seekers do during their hunt. It means contacting people who work at a company you respect, talking about yourself, and asking for help.

Despite how difficult it can be, cold calling can pay off. Jessica Channer, a Sheridan College alumna, had success when she sent a cold email to a Toronto bakery, Moo Milk Bar.

“I chose to email them because I knew it was a small business, and I wanted to see if there was even a remote possibility that they were hiring,” she explained.

Before reaching out, she read through the bakery's website to learn more about the business. In her email, she described how interested she was in working there and demonstrated her love of baking by attaching a few pictures of some goodies she'd made. She was hired for a front-of-house position shortly after.

Channer said she would “definitely” use this technique in her future job hunt. “It's an easy way to connect with a potential employer and grab their attention ... It's easy to send a quick email, and it really can't hurt, can it?”

There are two ways to make that initial cold contact: by phone or by email. When given those choices, Susan Coyne, a consultant in Fanshawe's Career Services department, said she prefers picking up the phone. “(With) email, you never know where it ends up or if somebody even reads it.” She added that a “drop-in” cold call — showing up at the company without a formal invitation — is not appropriate. “It's a bad idea to assume that people don't have other things to do … It's an assumption that their time is not valuable, that they're not important.”

A cold call can be a great way to connect with a company, but don't expect it to turn into a job (though it's nice when that happens). Calling for an informational interview is a great opportunity to network and get the inside scoop about a company you admire.

Technical recruiter Andrew Patrick works at third-party recruitment service Cadre. He sources, interviews and submits candidates for engineering positions. He receives anywhere between three and five cold calls a week, and at least one or two cold emails every day.

“The sign of a good cold call or email is when you can tell based on the applicant's message that they've done their research. Addressing me by name, making it clear where you got my contact information, understanding the sector we cater to, or even finding out that I'm the individual worth calling shows the individual is able to think critically and problem-solve, which are attractive qualities in an employee,” he said. Start your research on the company website; if you can't find people's names there, try LinkedIn or Facebook.

The signs of a bad cold contact are just as clear: “When the individual doesn't have easy-to-find information before speaking with me: my name, the types of jobs our company fills, and the type of industry we work for are all easily found on our company website, which should be the first thing someone looks at before reaching out to any potential employer,” Patrick said.

Before making the call, practice with a friend or record yourself answering questions using Career Service's InterviewStream program online (fanshawec.interviewstream.com). “You can watch yourself and listen to your tone, the shakiness of your voice, (and count) how many times you say ‘um' and ‘uh,'” said Darlene O'Neill, who manages Fanshawe's Career Services department. You can also ask the staff at Career Services for in-person coaching.

When you pick up the phone for real, start by introducing yourself and explain kind of caraeer you're looking for, said O'Neill. “(Ask) if the person has any advice or guidance ... You could ask, ‘Do you know anybody I could speak to in the field? Can you tell me more about your company? Is there anything I could do for you — perhaps I could volunteer?'” Networking is never just “what can you do for me?” she said, it's also about how you can help other people.

Three days after you've called, send a thank-you email or letter. “Even if they couldn't do anything for you, thank them,” O'Neill said. Expressing appreciation for someone's time goes a long way in making you memorable.

If you choose to send a cold email, “make it clear, concise and memorable,” Coyne said. “Don't send out a long-winded email, because people don't want to spend a long time reading … Ask for an informational interview, ask for advice.” Ensure your punctuation, grammar, spelling are correct, and never use text-speak (LOL, u instead of you) or emoticons. Don't send a resume on your first cold contact with the company — it comes across as pushy.

Kirsten Rosenkrantz was another job seeker who had a positive cold calling experience. When she graduated from the University of Toronto in 2009, she moved back to London to hunt for a summer job before heading into Fanshawe's Corporate Communications and Public Relations post-grad program that September.

“I literally went through the phone book and searched online for companies and organizations in the city that I would enjoy working for,” she remembered. “I took a chance by plastering the city with my resume, and only got one call back.” The call came from the Children's Health Foundation, who asked her in for an interview and eventually hired her as a summer student.

If nothing comes of your cold calls and emails, don't be discouraged; in Patrick's experience in the engineering industry, not many jobs are filled through cold calling anymore. “With the ability to post jobs online and the new candidate-tracking systems companies have in place, the odds of cold calling a company that has a suitable position but hasn't found any qualifying candidates are just so slim.” Even if you call at the right time, you might just be added to the list of potential candidates who have to go through the formal screening process. Of all the applicants who have cold contacted Patrick, he's been able to find jobs for two.

Rather than cold calling, Patrick advised job seekers to wait until the company has an opening in a position they're qualified for.

But you never know — you might hit Send at just the right time, or you might meet someone who can help you out. “Always be aware of the impression you leave on people in your industry, because you never know when the stars will align and a person you've met in your past will contact you with a job offer,” said Rosenkrantz.

If you think this all sounds like a lot of work, you're right — it is. But getting a job at your dream company is rarely easy. “The amount of effort you need to put into finding a job is probably equivalent to the number of hours you want to work in a job,” Coyne said. If you want a 40-hour-per-week job, you should be spending 40 hours every week hunting for it.

For help with your job hunt, go to Career Services on campus in D1063.

Call log

During the call, it's okay to be a little nervous. If it helps, you can prepare a short script that touches on all the points you want to make. Try out this template:

To Receptionist/Front Desk:

“Good morning/afternoon. My name is (whatever your name is). May I please speak with your company's Human Resources manager, (whatever their name is — you found this person on LinkedIn already, right?). (If the person is not available, ask if there's a better time to call.) Thank you very much for your time.”

To Human Resources Manager:

“Good morning, (their name). My name is (your name). I'm a (student/graduate) of Fanshawe College's (whatever you're studying) program, and I'm calling to inquire about the possibility of speaking with someone from (company name) to conduct an information interview to learn more about (whatever the company specializes in).”

Erika Faust/Interrobang