Word-of-mouth leads in Dallas (Dallas)

Two small Dallas employers told me they are hiring but have not posted yet. It has been a long 22 weeks. They prefer people who can start within a couple of weeks. What do you write in a cold email?

Small employers often hire on recommendation. Ask neighbours, former co-workers and your library.

A short email with two sentences about what you can do and your résumé attached worked for me. I followed up after a week.