When is a good time to contact POIs?

[museum_geek]

I was planning on sending out emails to some faculty members I would like to work with towards the end of August. Does anyone have any idea if this is a good timeline - too late, too early, etc? Cheers!

[sierra918]

Yes, I think that's a really good timeline!

[museum_geek]

Thanks - it's  good to know I'm not too far off track with my timeline!

[Ajtz'ihb]

Yeah, sending out emails just around the beginning of the academic year is a good idea. People won't be too busy yet so they're more likely to have time to respond. 

[Bschaefer]

Also to add, professors could be out in the field collecting data and won't check their emails regularly leaving your email to accumulate in their inbox. 

[rising_star]

So, I'll just be honest here as a faculty member. I work a 9 month a year contract (that is, I don't work or get paid from mid-May to mid-August). Consequently, I don't check my work email that often and don't answer anything that isn't urgent (so, right now that means emails from the registrar about course-related matters and certain emails from my chair). The rest can wait until I start getting paid again in August, at which point some may be lost because of how many emails have come in thus far this summer. Just something to think about when you're timing your emails... I would wait until early September (after Labor Day in the USA) to send emails.

[TakeruK]

My opinion is that for most schools that have deadlines in December, including Dec 1 deadlines, it's a good idea to send emails around mid-September (like after Labor Day in the US as rising_star suggested) or a week after the Fall quarter/semester has started (at my school, this would be October 1), whatever comes later.

[museum_geek]

Thanks for the advice everyone!  I'm starting my second year in a master's program south of the Mason-Dixon line and we start our semester in mid-August, so I didn't factor Labor Day into the equation.  I'll push back my timeline by a couple weeks and wait until mid-September to start sending out some emails.  

[Need Coffee in an IV]

Yeah that sounds like a good timeline. It's similar to mine and everyone actually got back to me. I even had some phone calls with my POIs and it was a great experience. Also good luck! We may run into each other at conferences since I'm also interested in museum work.