Writing emails to a stranger could be daunting, but it's a great way to build connections, explore opportunities, and even advance your career.
How do we write an effective cold email?
Check out the thread below for some ideas.
Your email should contain the following four elements.
- Greeting: "Hello"
- Introduction: "My name is Inigo Montoya."
- Context/Connection: "You killed my father."
- Call for action: "Prepare to die."
Inigo.Montoya.mp4
Understand basic email etiquette. Do not use Miss / Mrs. particularly if you know the recipient has a PhD. Respect their expertise.
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A simple one would work. My name is NAME. I am a POSITION from AFFILIATION. I am writing to WHAT DO YOU WANT
Provide SPECIFIC context, personal connection, background information in your email. Do your homework!
connection.mp4
Spell out what you expect the recipient to do after reading the email. Make it ACTIONABLE (e.g., set up a short meeting, answer a question, or prepare to die).
action.mp4
This pitfall is quite common in inquiry emails from prospective students. Ex:
"I am fascinated by your work and ." where paper titles are of inconsistent font type/sizes. This almost surely indicates that you are sending massive emails.
consistency.mp4
Make sure that you full name "in English" appears as the sender. Don't use your favorite anime character's name or some unmemorable ID (e.g., A90291053@school.edu).
your.name.mp4
Emails are not just plain texts. Make the main points stand out using bold/italic fonts. Itemize your talking points to make the email easier to read.
structure.mp4
For prospective students looking for advisors, remember that your email is a WRITING SAMPLE. If your email is not clear or has lots of errors, it could actually hurt your case. Revise the emails before you send them.