5 Best Job Search Email Templates to Speed Up the Hiring Process

When it comes to getting hired, referrals are the holy grail for job seekers – and it’s no surprise considering 88% of companies report referrals as the leading source of superior candidates, with better culture fits, higher retention rates, and the best returns on investment. The real question for job seekers is: how do you get referred?

Simple, you tap into your network! You’ve spent a lot of time and energy building it up, now it’s time to use it – start sending out emails to get your foot in the door at the company of your dreams. That said, as any job hunter knows, sending out email after email can be tiring, tedious, and downright demoralizing, especially if you’re not getting responses.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way – you can use email templates to speed up the process and save you time. What’s more, having a template prepared for outreach emails helps combat some of the awkwardness of reaching out to someone about new work opportunities.

To set you on the right path, we’ve put together five of the best job search email templates to get you hired – let’s take a look!

Template 1: Email A Current Connection at The Company

Emailing a person you know at a company that is hiring is one of the best paths to job-seeker success. The contact on the inside will already be established and able to refer you if you make it happen! Exactly how you approach the email to a current connection at the company will depend on various factors, such as how well you know them, but a good starter template is:

Hello [Name],

I hope you’re doing well!

I’m reaching out because I’m exploring new career opportunities and noticed that [Company Name] is currently looking for [Job Title]. I’ve been keeping up with you on LinkedIn and noticed you’ve been there for [Time], so was wondering if I could speak to you about the role?

I would really value your insights into working at [Company Name] and perhaps if you think [Job Title] would be a good fit for me, you might connect me with the hiring manager? From what I’ve seen so far, the role is well aligned with the career opportunities I’m looking for and [Company Name] seems like a great place to work.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing any thoughts you have!

All the best,

[Your Name]

Template 2: Email Someone You Used to Work With

Emailing contacts about finding a new role doesn’t always have to be related to an open position. In fact, it’s often more important to just put it out there that you’re looking for new opportunities and this is when previous colleagues can be extremely useful. They already know you, will generally work in a similar field, and (if you had a good relationship) should be open to helping you along on your career path.

Hey [Name],

I hope you’re doing well! I’ve been keeping up with you on LinkedIn, and it looks like work has been going great since we were together at [Previous Company].

I’m just reaching out because I’m looking for new opportunities. From our work together, you know I’ve got a strong background in [Previous Work], and since then I’ve also [Other Experience], which has really helped build my skills in [Skills].

Ideally, I’m looking for a position involving [Description of Job] for a company that [Description of Company Type]. I know you’re well established in this field and was hoping you’d let me know if you hear of any opportunities that you think would be a good fit.

Thanks a lot, and if you need anything from me, just send me a message!

All the best,

[Your Name]

Template 3: Email Someone You’re Connected with on Social Media

In the modern world of work, not all of our connections are as well established as previous colleagues or friends. These days, we have extensive networks of potential referrals through social media platforms. When it comes to professional connections, there is one social platform that stands above the rest: LinkedIn. It’s the perfect place for networking emails.  But how do you reach out to a social media contact about possible job opportunities? We’ve got a job search email template that will help you introduce yourself in an email before going into the “why.”

Dear [Name],

I hope that this email finds you well.

I’m [Your Name], we’ve been connected on [Network] for a while after [how you connected: e.g. a post of theirs] and I’ve noticed how well established you are in [Industry]. I’m currently searching for new work opportunities in exactly that field and have extensive experience in [Background], which perfectly places me to make this transition.

I’ve previously worked with [Previous Company], which has given me plenty of skills in [Skills], which I think would translate well to [Industry].

That said, with all your experience, I would be really interested to hear any insights you had into working in [Industry] and would highly appreciate it if you let me know about any opportunities in your own network that might match my skills.

Thanks in advance, I look forward to hearing from you!

All the Best,

[Your Name]

Template 4: Email Someone You Met at a Conference

Conferences remain a great way to network in your field and can create very personal connections with professional contacts. What’s more, while people can be hesitant to post their contact details online, conferences enable you to collect direct email addresses for people across entire industries. If you’re looking for work, now’s the time to reach out!

Hello [Name],

How are you doing?

It was great to meet you at [Conference], I really enjoyed our chat about [How You Networked]. If I remember correctly, you’re currently working at [Company]?

I’m actually on the lookout for new opportunities after deciding to change career paths and thought I would reach out to see if you had heard of any openings at [Company] or a similar company.

Ideally, I’m looking for a position involving [Description of Job]. I know that you’re well established in the field and would really appreciate it if you’d let me know of any opportunities that you think would be a good fit for me.

It would be great to catch up again soon, and thanks in advance!

Best,

[Your Name]

Template 5: Email Someone in Another Department

Not all job searching means moving to a new company, sometimes a major change in career projection can involve an inter-departmental shift. However, this doesn’t necessarily make things any easier. Before writing a job-seeking email to another department, make sure to analyze carefully if it is the right role for you and broach the topic with your current boss. That said, let’s take a look at an inter-departmental job search email template:

Hello [Name],

I’m [You Name], I currently work in the [Your Department]. I believe we’ve crossed paths previously when we were both working on the [Joint Project].

I noticed that there is an opening in [Their Department] and would be really interested to find out more. With a background in [Your Background] and the skills I’ve built up in [Current Role], I feel that I would be able to bring a lot to the role and would love your thoughts on how I might fit in at [Their Department].

I’ve already spoken to [Your Boss] about the possibility of pursuing new opportunities in [Their Department] and would highly appreciate it if you put me in touch with [Their Boss] to discuss the role further.

Thanks a lot!

Best,

[Your Name] 

The Best App for Email Templates

If you’ve come this far, you’ve now got a whole rack of job search email templates to use in your hunt for new opportunities. The next step is being able to implement them in the most efficient way possible so you can spend less time typing out emails and more time honing your work skills. The solution is an email app that deals with the templates for you!

Spike offers simple yet powerful Message Templates, which allow you to save pre-written emails for any job-seeking opportunity. When you need to pull a template out, they are only one click away, with the “/” (forward slash) being used in the composition window to pull up any template you need.

It’s also important to remember that it’s not just an email’s content that matters, but also when it is sent – sending an email on a Monday, for example, will likely not get you any new career opportunities. That’s why Spike includes Scheduled Send, allowing you to write an email at a time that suits you, but have it send when it’s most likely to engage your job connections.

What’s more, Spike also offers Reminders, a great way to prompt you to send a follow-up email to a job application. Getting a follow-up email to the right person at the right time can be the difference between landing an interview and never hearing from them again.

Time to Start Using the Best Job Search Email Templates

Searching for a new job is stressful and time-consuming, but sending emails doesn’t have to be when you use these job search email templates. Lighten the load of finding new opportunities – whether through connections, colleagues, or other departments – and reduce the anxiety around asking for referrals with pre-written templates.

Load these templates into Spike, and you can automate even further, with pre-written messages just a shortcut away and scheduling and snooze functions to keep your email outreach on your own time.