Please be careful of how you go through your coffee chat.
There are certain steps that you may want to follow when you try to reach out to a practitioner in the consulting industry.
Please Please Please be mindful and do not let the details ruin your application.
1. Reach out to them by the end of that day. Let's assume you went to a networking event, and you got a few contact info from the consultants. Please send out either thank you letter or coffee chat proposal by the end of that day. DO NOT procrastinate. Otherwise they won't remember you. Remember there are thousands of other candidates out there who are queuing up for the same role.
2. Please do not share your hesitation of applying. If you have hesitation, keep it to yourself, and don't tell them that you may or may not apply. Hesitation is not honesty in this scenario. Your hesitation means that you are wasting each other's time on this coffee chat. Show your passion and preparation instead. Show them that you are ready to hit the ground running. Please save your shilly-shally to your friends, yourself or your career coaches.
3. Send out a succinct thank you note ASAP after the conversation. Show them you are well mannered. People spend time talking with you, isn't it reasonable to be grateful? Please do not wait, just send them a thank you email or text or whatever right after the conversation (or at least by the end of that day). Keep the memory fresh.
4. Keep them posted. Send them your current updates or something that could relate to the role that you want to apply for. Keeping them updated is the only way to sustain the relationship.
Good luck guys. It is hard to go through application process. Wish you all the best. |