Communication
for students
Before you communicate
Make sure to do your research before reaching out to a company.
- Can you find an answer to your question in the Challenge's details?
- Did the company provide extra resources that may answer your question?
- Is your question already answered in the Challenge's FAQ section?
How to communicate
Be polite and professional. Companies and employers are likely to reciprocate the manner in which you communicate with them. Respect them and they will respect you.
Be clear about your objective. Why you are contacting this person? What is a clear action they can take in response to your message? In general, most people are willing and happy to help, if they are clear on how they can do so.
Batch your questions. Employers are more able to answer a bunch of questions all at once as opposed to several questions spread out over time. Try to ask several questions at once if you can.
Remember that employers are busy and have full time jobs on top of supporting students on Riipen. Allow an adequate amount of time between your first message to an employer and any follow up messages you may wish to send.
You can contact an employer by Riipen chat or even by email or phone if the employer has them listed with Riipen or offers those options to you. If an employer's email or phone are not listed with Riipen, refrain from finding that information through other sources and contacting them that way; it's all about respecting the employer's time.
What to expect from employers
Challenges are often run with hundreds of students, and that can mean a lot of questions for employers to answer. Please be curtious towards employers and allow up to 48 business hours for them to respond to any questions you may have.
Again, chances are that a student has already asked a similar question to the one you may be asking, so be sure to check out the Challenge's FAQ section and see if there is an answer waiting there for you.