How to reach out to colleagues globally? Guidance for early career professionals and students , especially from Kashmir and the Global South.

If you are looking for a professional or academic opportunity, take a risk by emailing an established colleague in your field to ask them for guidance and opportunity. You can email a colleague anywhere across the world. Many, if not most, seasoned professionals will be glad to respond to your request for guidance and opportunity. Having said that, keep in mind that seasoned professionals are less likely to respond to unprofessional emails. I understand that many students and early career professionals in the Global South are never actually taught how to reach out to seasoned professionals by email. So, here are some tips for your introductory email: 

1) Be sure to begin your email with a professional salutation. The salutation Dear Dr. Smith or Dear Ms. Smith is appropriate, NOT 'Dear Mrs. Smith,' 'Hey' 'Respected Auntie,' 'Respected Mother,' etc. The latter set of salutations are not appropriate because they focus on the marital status of someone named Mrs. Smith, not her professional status as a neurosurgeon or professor of urban planning.

2) Include information about your professional/academic training and interests in the email. For example, describe your educational background and academic/career interests. This information will allow recipients of your email to better help you.

3) If you have a resume, attach it to your email. If you don't have a resume, prepare one pronto.

4) Be sure to have a clear request in the email (e.g. "Dear Dr. Raja, I have read two of your papers, and would appreciate the opportunity to have a 15-minute meeting with you to discuss potential opportunities to collaborate with you in March 2018," NOT "I read about you and want to discuss your research." The former phrase signals that you have a specific request - a 15 minute meeting in a particular month - and that you have done your homework by reading Dr. Raja's work beforehand.

4) Proof-read your email to make sure it is grammatically correct. Be sure to punctuate your sentences. The cultural practice of removing vowels from text messages, or otherwise shortening words, is a perfectly fine way of communicating with your friends, and perhaps even with colleagues who you know well, but phrases such as 'Pls rspnd,' or 'vy u nt rspnd 2 my mail' or 'thank u' are not appropriate for professional communication.

5) Avoid sexist language/words in your email. The term 'manpower,' for example, can be easily reworded as 'human resources'.

6) It is completely appropriate to ask a friend (or, family member) to read over your email before you send it off.

7) Conclude your email with your full contact information. Include your full name, contact phone number, Skype ID (if you have one), and preferred email.