Cold Emailing: The “Hidden Door” for Syrian Engineers

What is Cold Emailing? Cold emailing is sending a professional message to someone you do not know (a manager, professor, or senior engineer) to start a conversation.

Why is this vital (important) for you? If you apply through a company’s website (like the “Careers” page), their automated system (ATS) may auto-reject you simply because your location is “Syria” due to compliance settings.

• Cold Emailing bypasses the robot. It puts your name and skills directly in front of a human being.

• It builds trust. Western employers are hesitant to hire from sanctioned regions because they don’t know the quality of education. A personal email with a portfolio proves your quality immediately.

The Strategy: How to do it from Syria

Since direct “Full-Time Employment” (sponsorship) is difficult immediately, you should target two specific pathways:

1 Remote Contract/Freelance Work: Asking to work on specific projects as a contractor (easier for them to hire than a full employee).

2 Academic/Research Internships: Emailing professors for Master’s/PhD positions or remote research assistant roles.

Step 1: The Setup (Before you email)

• Fix your Online Presence: You generally cannot visit them in person, so your digital presence is your face.

◦ GitHub/Portfolio: (Note: GitHub is now more accessible in Syria). You must have code or CAD drawings uploaded. You cannot just say you know SolidWorks or Python; you must show it.

◦ LinkedIn: Set your profile to “Open to Work.” This will help you connect with Syrian engineers who are already working.

Step 2: Finding the Target

• Do not email generic addresses like info@company.com. They will ignore you.

• Use LinkedIn: Search for the specific company. Click “People.” Search for “Engineering Manager” or “Senior Civil Engineer.”

• The “Syria Hack”: Look for smaller startups (10-50 people). Large corporations (Google, Siemens) have strict compliance teams that block Syrian hires. Small startups just care if you can do the work and are cheap/efficient.

Step 3: Writing the Email

Your email must answer three questions in 10 seconds:

1. Who are you?

2. What can you do for me (the company)?

3. Where is the proof?

Example of a Cold Email:

Template A: The “Remote Contractor” Approach

Use this for small software agencies, design firms, or engineering consultancies.

Subject: Front-End Developer Inquiry – [Your Name]

Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name],

I’ve been following [Company Name]’s recent work on [mention a specific project they did], and I love your approach to [specific technical detail].

I am a Software Engineer based in Damascus. I know you are busy, so I will be brief. I am writing to inquire if you are open to remote contract work for your current backlog.

I specialize in [Skill 1] and [Skill 2]. Recently, I built a [Project Name] that solved [Problem]. You can see the code and live demo here: [Link to GitHub/Portfolio].

I am used to working asynchronously and am available for small “trial” tasks to prove my code quality.

Thank you for your time.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Link to LinkedIn]