Published: February 18, 2014
How to Address Self-Introductory Emails
Now that we’ve covered some of the more substantial chunks of the MBA recruiting process, let’s turn to a sometimes overlooked, but nonetheless important, aspect of reaching out to employers, alumni, and anyone else whom you don’t know personally but who can offer guidance and perspective on your MBA job search.
The most basic rule of thumb to follow is to avoid the exotic, and to keep things simple. When starting an email message and/or a cover letter, the operative salutation is “Dear [First Name],” as in “Dear Henry,” “Dear Amy,” etc. Using “Hi” is normally reserved for people you already know, and can be more easily employed when you’re responding to a message sent to you, rather than when initiating a conversation.
Using “Hey” as a greeting, though I’ve seen it appear in MBA emails to managing directors and partners at employer organizations, is almost universally a bad idea. To most recipients, “Hey” either feels jolting (as in, “hey, pay attention!”), or too chummy, especially between people who’ve not previously met. The worst examples of these messages are sometimes forwarded back to the MBA career service office by employers and/or alumni with a gentle reminder for the staff there to continue to help coach MBAs in proper etiquette … ouch!
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