How do you approach someone for career advice in After-Sales?

1 Identify your goals

Before you reach out to someone for career advice, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Do you want to learn more about a specific aspect of after-sales, such as quality assurance, customer relationship management, or technical support? Do you want to explore different career paths or opportunities in after-sales, such as management, consulting, or training? Do you want to improve your skills or qualifications in after-sales, such as certifications, courses, or tools? Having a specific goal will help you narrow down your search for potential advisors and prepare relevant questions.

3 Reach out with a polite and concise message

When you have selected a few potential advisors, you can contact them with a polite and concise message. You should introduce yourself briefly, explain your goal and why you are seeking career advice in after-sales, and express your interest and appreciation for their work. You should also ask them if they are willing and available to share their insights and guidance with you, and suggest a convenient time and format for the conversation, such as a phone call, a video chat, or an email exchange. You should avoid sending generic or spammy messages, and respect their time and privacy.

4 Prepare for the conversation

If the potential advisor agrees to give you career advice, you should prepare for the conversation in advance. You should review your goal and the information you have gathered about the advisor, and prepare some specific and relevant questions that you want to ask them. For example, you can ask them about their career journey, their current role and responsibilities, their challenges and achievements, their advice and recommendations, or their resources and referrals. You should also prepare your own resume or portfolio, in case they ask you about your background and experience.

5 Follow up with gratitude and action

After the conversation, you should follow up with the advisor with gratitude and action. You should thank them for their time and advice, and highlight the key points or takeaways that you learned from them. You should also let them know how you plan to apply their advice to your own career development, and ask them for feedback or suggestions. You should also keep in touch with them, and update them on your progress and achievements. You should also offer to help them in any way you can, and reciprocate their generosity and support.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?