Contacting Potential Employer

[Peter Coyle]

I’m curious what people think about how to contact a potential employer who I discussed the profession with before I started my masters program (3 years ago). I’m pretty sure he’ll remember me as I knew him before venturing into this profession, but I’m wondering if simply calling him, asking how things are going and bluntly asking him if he is looking for any help (he has a very small firm) is the way to go instead of writing a letter or some other form of contact. What are your thoughts?

[mark foster]

I like blunt.  If he has “a very small firm”, he will appreciate it.  If you haven’t talked to him in 3 years, he will be annoyed at a coy approach. 

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Make the contact, stay in touch often, and let him make the move on the job front. If he needs help he’ll ask you if you are interested. If you ask and he is not not ready, he’ll say no – then things will be awkward as far as you staying in touch. He is going to know that you want a job, so why put him on the spot?

[Thomas J. Johnson]

Letters are more formal than calling. If you have a casual relationship, calling would be more appropriate than a business letter.

If you are looking for work, ask him if he has any. You can’t expect him to have ESP. You’ll be doing him and yourself a disservice by being insincere and allusive about your intent. Personally, I’m horrible at reading between the lines. Sometimes it takes a sledgehammer to get the point across to me, so I prefer the direct approach. Anything else leaves too much room for interpretation and misunderstanding which creates uncertainty and distrust in a relationship. i.e. “What does he really want? What is he trying to say?” Mixed signals are never good.

Honesty is the best policy.  

[Heather Smith]

I would definitely contact him. Perhaps you should drop an email asking if you can take him out to coffee? Are you local? I think a phone call could be great but I still think an email letting him know you are going to give him a ring could spare you any awkward moments trying to remind him who you are. 🙂 With the tight job market I think you really have to be willing to go the extra mile in forming connections. Even if he can’t offer you work he may be able to send you in the right direction. Good luck!

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

It is like calling someone and getting the answering. If you leave a message and no one gets back to you, you look like a jerk if you keep leaving messages. If you hang up before leaving a message, you can keep calling back util someone picks up the phone.

My first office job was offered to me 9 months after I first met with the employer. It happened to be a civil/survey office with no licensed LA (owner is an MLA from Harvard). I approached him because it was listed as an LA, but the two LAs both had left and went on their own. He neither offered me a job nor did I ask for one as I wanted to work for an LA to finish some intern requirements. However, we stayed in touch so when he needed help and knew I had not found work in an LA office, he called me and hired me.

It is not ESP or avoiding the subject all together, but had I asked him for a job when I met him, it would have been no. Then what? I call him every two months and go through it again? It is much better to check in and be familiar than to be refused.

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