Tried cold emailing 50 people for a junior dev role and got zero replies

I spent a whole weekend writing personalized emails to 50 small tech companies in Portland, asking about junior developer openings. Not a single person even wrote back to say no. I learned that cold emails might work for sales people but for tech jobs, they just ignore you. Has anyone actually gotten a job this way or am I just doing it wrong?

4 comments

4 Comments

charles6402mo ago

Tried something similar a few years back when I was looking for a graphic design gig. Sent out maybe 30 emails to local agencies and got one reply that was just "we'll keep you on file." Felt like a total waste of weekend time. The thing is, most of those email addresses probably go to a general inbox that nobody checks regularly. Better luck I had just showing up to local tech meetups and talking to people face to face. Not saying it works for everyone but that got me more conversations than cold emails ever did.

cooper.drew2mo ago

Wait, you actually got a reply? I used to think cold emails were a numbers game, but @charles640 you're totally right that half those inboxes are probably dead ends anyway.

susansingh2mo ago

Doesn't it feel like we're all just shouting into the void with cold emails? I used to think it was a solid strategy, but Charles' story about the graphic design gig really made me stop and think. I mean, spending a whole weekend on 30 emails just to get one brush-off? That's painful. I was always told to just keep sending them out, but honestly, it seems like you're better off putting that time into something that actually works. Face to face conversations like at meetups at least give you a real chance to connect. Maybe the numbers game just isn't the right game anymore.

moore.beth1mo ago

Changed my whole view on this honestly. I used to think cold emails were just part of the grind, like you just gotta send more and hope. But hearing your story and Charles's makes me realize it's just not worth the time investment. Better to spend that weekend going to one good meetup where you can actually talk to someone than blasting out 50 emails that go nowhere. Sounds like the real move is putting yourself in rooms where people can see you're a real person, not just another name in their inbox.