Research has shown that cold emails are an efficient route for students looking for a research professor or wanting to continue their education overseas, but they only function if one follows the appropriate procedure.
Now, its time to write but before you write, you must answer the following questions:
- In what ways does the professor’s most recent study align with what you know right now? discover your point of contact with the professors. This can be the journal you publish as an undergrad. Read the professor’s paper and find a way to relate it to your prior knowledge if you lack research knowledge.
- Have you read any of the professor’s papers? If so, what did you learn? Any email usually starts and ends with this. You must inform the professor of the author’s paper’s name, the keyword utilised in it, the issues it addressed, and the approach taken. This demonstrates your skill as a research-oriented student. You don’t have to comprehend every bit of jargon used in the document, but you must read it several times until you get the idea. You are being hired by the lecturer to write papers for them. It would be great if you could mention multiple papers.
- Do you have any queries or suggestions for enhancing the existing research? Based on the material you have read, you are free to make recommendations or pose inquiries. Your capacity to enhance any outcome is demonstrated by this.
- What are your requirements for the professor, and why? By the manner you write the mail, you can convince the professor that taking up space in his or her lab is not a waste of time. To continue the conversation, ask them to give you a Skype call. It’s known as incentivizing opportunities.
Below are guidelines/tips for writing Emails:
- Use appropriate subject line(E.g prospective Msc/Phd student, Msc/Phd research inquiry, etc
- use appropriate salutation e.g Dear prof. XYZ or Dear Dr XYZ.(don’t use dear sir/ma)
- It’s important to let the lecturer know how important you are in the first paragraph. You don’t need to say anything more because your associated documents will act as your introduction. Describe your achievements in research.
- The final paragraph will touch on point four above (2-3 sentences). Overall, there should be 3 paragraphs, each with 12–15 sentences.
- Don’t appear sorry. By showcasing your abilities, you are gaining employment rather than pleading for assistance. Don’t act frantically It really turns me off.
- Please refrain from posting any religious remarks (such as “God bless you, sir/ma. Spare no one of them.
- Avoid lying and downplaying your abilities.
- Demonstrate that you are among the greatest in your nation or continent.
- The preferable option is to link your resume and test results. That will result in less storage space.