Workouts: 1, New Contacts: a few, Jobs applied for: a few. And one new company created. I’m telling you the pre-business school me doesn’t even recognize the post MBA me, starting new companies? Who am I? Well that and my stomach used to be flatter, but anyway.
So I have a fun story.
I’ve recently started contacting alumni from my business school in the hopes that they will lead to new job opportunities. Applying to jobs seems to be a waste of time and I know someone who got a job through an alumni contact, so I figured what the hell, it’s worth a try.
So I constructed an email:
Dear Alumni,
I’m an alum and found your name in the alumni directory. I was hoping to talk to you about your experience at XX Company. Is there a time over the next few weeks that works for you to chat?
All the best,
AIB
And generally speaking, this method has been working. I’ve gotten a ton of responses, none that has led to a job yet, but many that have led to interesting conversations and good future contacts.
But I have to share one response in particular with you. So I send off my standard email and this is what I get in response:
Dear AIB,
My company, XX is not hiring. Send along your resume in case business picks up in the future.
Sincerely, Jane Doe
You could have knocked me over with a feather. If you scroll up and reread my original email, go ahead, I’ll wait, you’ll see that in no way shape or form do I ask for a job. Obviously that is the end goal, but truthfully I think every bit of advice helps and you never know who knows who. So now I respond to my dear friend Jane with more than a little chip on my shoulder.
(And I’m paraphrasing here)
Dear Jane,
Thanks for your response. Actually, I was just looking for some advice, you presumptuous cow. Glad to see the alumni network is alive and kicking.
Good luck dodging karma, AIB
Obviously the real email had no bovine reference and was so overly polite and friendly she will never know the absurdity of her rudeness. Seriously? What the hell is wrong with people?
So with that behind me, I decided to have a Carrie Bradshaw type day and curl up in a cafe sitting at the window bar, looking out at New York, probably looking all pretentious and judgmental 🙂 and just enjoy the people watching. I always thought those people in cafe windows were so snobby and techy, sitting there with their mac book air’s and judging the world. Now I know they are just smarter than me for having switched to a mac and also are sick of spending the day in their apartments.
And you never know, maybe I’ll meet a new contact…
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