The communication mistake I was doing until I switched the tables. One of my best friends, a manager in Investment Banking, called me recently. He said, “I am hiring. You train finance students and post on LinkedIn all day. Can you share a few CVs?” Sounded simple. But here’s the problem: beyond 30-40 people, I barely remember anyone in my life 😅 So forwarding names wasn’t really an option.
My only mode of communication is my WhatsApp stories. I put anything & everything there – random thoughts, learnings, even job posts. People see it. The relevant ones reach out. So I wrote a quick 5-line job post on my WhatsApp channel and WhatsApp status/stories. Within an hour, I started getting replies. That’s when I noticed something interesting. 👇
I automatically liked the people who led by action and didn’t overthink. They simply sent their CV + 2 lines on why they were relevant. I just glanced at it and forwarded it to my friend. Smooth. But many others – especially the super-polite ones – started like this: “Hey Chinmay, I saw your status. How are you doing?” “Can you share the firm name?” “Is this a front-end or back-end role?” All valid questions…
But they completely missed the key action: sending the CV first. And honestly, when you have 10 other things running in your head, you just don’t have the patience for long chats before someone takes action. (Understanding context, situation vibe of the room is the first communication skill)
So here’s the lesson I learnt when you’re talking to someone who’s NOT YOUR close friend/colleague:
- Lead with Action, not Questions.
- Follow it with a short 2-line context (no ChatGPT tone, please 😄).
- Then ask your question, if needed.
Something like this works beautifully: “Saw your status attaching my CV. I’ve worked on financial modelling and would love an IB role. Been part of a few fund raises etc. Based in Mumbai currently. Also, if you have a minute, can you share the firm name or JD?” That’s it. Crisp, clear, confident.
Foreplay is good… but in the bedroom, not in the boardroom. 😄 It’s funny – I realised how many times I used to do the same thing until I switched sides. Sometimes you only learn communication when you’re on the receiving end.
Trivia: When my friend sent me the text that he is hiring, I sent him a long list of details to fill and send back; he got pissed. Why? Because he reached out to me as a friend expecting 3-4 CVs and I gave a response like a robot focused on problem solving.
Originally posted on LinkedIn.
