Wait, How Do I Write This Email? Game-Changing Templates for Networking and the Job Search is a practical and easy-to-use guide on how to write emails that open the doors of opportunity.
Danny Rubin emphasizes the importance of writing skills, which are getting lost with advancements in technology. He provides templates to help you compose emails and other documents with confidence and help eliminate the anxiety and excuses that come along with writing.
The first chapter “How to Write Everything Better” teaches you how to make your writing clear, concise and comprehensive. You can say what you need to say in as few words as possible.
Be brief, edit, and remove adjectives and other unnecessary words. Also, use words that are easily understood by everyone.
Did you know that there is an art to writing emails? You learn how to prepare, write and send emails in chapter two. There were three things that really stood out to me. First, there’s a chart that specifies how to address recipients based on their age and the nature of the relationship. Also, there’s an outline of the order in which you should compose emails. Lastly, the recipients’ names should be entered last. Why? You can’t send an email if there is no one to send it to.
Rubin reminded us of two important practices that everyone tends to forget. First, be mindful of words that should not be capitalized. And review all of your emails before sending. This applies to any document you create.
He also advised adding a personal hashtag to your resume, which makes sense in the digital age. In addition to making your resume stand out above the competition; it will be easier for recruiters to find you on your social networks.
Although the title and the focus of the book is on how to write emails, Rubin provides templates, tips and other best practices on how to network, how to build relationships, how to thank people, and how to ask for help, whether you know the recipient or not.
You will also find templates on how to write resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, phone conversations and more. Yes, it is still important to talk to people in this digital age, and you need to know how to say it effectively. You also need to follow up, whether or not you receive a response from the person.
Another great piece of advice Rubin gave was to use stories to distinguish yourself from other folks. They can also be used as branding tools.
Rubin concluded the book with several blog posts to help millennials with their jobs search. Although Wait, How Do I Write This Email? targets millennials, students and job seekers, many of the writing tips and templates can be used by anyone that needs help writing emails or other correspondence for networking and their job search.