I remember years ago, while I was looking for a job, that I got obsessed in accessing certain people by their names, their companies, etc.. who I thought they could easily recruit me. Before continuing reading this post, I warn you dear reader, with my double learning: first a negative one that obsessing in an interview or a dream position, can stop anyone for doing better job search and secondly, a positive one that we all can access everyone in this world by triggering the right buttons or knocking on the right doors.

So you want to access certain person, that might be able to recruit you. Firstly one needs a plan. There are some rules, rule number one is education and avoid harassment, so avoid direct contact if possible, get introduced. I personally hate receiving in my Linkedin the one-page emails approaching directly specially those ones even without my name on it. Because I need to read them and lose my time if I am not interested. Therefore, the best to arrive to a person is by Finding an intermediate contact and get introduced, think about it, in your network if there is a person that can introduce you. Linkedin helps, but in case not, as I always mention that leading to C from A can bring you intermediate B and even D and back to C. So ideally create a network of people that can lead to you. It is incredible like Paulo Coehlo mentioned in “the Alchemist” ” When you really want something, the whole universe starts a conspiration to help you to achieve that thing”; apply this to job search. That means that once you start telling people that you want to meet a company or a person, everybody suggests yourself ways to doing it. That is rule number two ask for help, we are not alone in this world. You would be surprised by the interesting people you meet in your path to target company/person. Life is an adventure.

So imagine you get the email of the person that you want to meet. Rule number three is always give your interlocutor the chance to meet you or not. Write short emails with motivation to meet and giving him/her the chance to meet, call speak by phone, skype, etc.. or simply do not meet. And you would have to live with that. That is the hard lesson, not every one wants to meet or talk to everyone, and we must respect it. End.

In case of the person meets, be gentle politeness is rule number four, listen to your contact, thank for the opportunity to contact, congratulate for his/her position. Everybody wants to listen to gentle words. And then is your moment,  at the same time be direct on the conversation, “the reason I am calling you is…” and then introduce yourself quickly, and that leads to rule number five, do not ever ask for a job, tell your interlocutor your motivations to work in similar companies, your target departments, etc… but do not ask for a job. Never. That moment of interview is a fully job interview at the same time, so recommended to be secure, speak slowly but clear and receptive. Normally if the other person knows how to do it, you would feel comfortable and polite enough if there is no interest in you as a candidate to keep you in his/her records for future collaborations.

Do not insist too much. Second rule is try to avoid direct contact if possible, be introduced. It is not casual that Linkedin recommends you to “get introduced”.