First message from a profile

Use whenYou have found someone good who is not looking, and one shot to get a reply.

Write a first outreach message to a potential candidate. Their public profile says: [paste the relevant parts, no contact details]. The role: [job title, company type, pay range, location or remote, one thing that makes it special]. Mention one specific thing from their profile and why it fits. Under 90 words, no hype words, one clear question at the end. Give me two versions: one for email with a subject line, one for a LinkedIn message. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outCheck the detail it picked from the profile is true and current. Getting it wrong is worse than leaving it out.

Follow up sequence

Use whenYour first message got silence and “just bumping this” will not help.

Here is my first outreach message: [paste]. Write two follow ups to send if there is no reply, one after four days and one after ten. Each must add something new (a detail about the team, the pay, the problem they would solve) rather than just checking in. Under 60 words each. The last one should close the loop politely. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Reply to a candidate who is not interested

Use whenSomeone says no and you want to keep the door open.

A candidate replied: [paste reply]. Write a short, warm response that respects their answer, asks whether I can keep in touch for future roles, and asks, only if it feels natural, whether they know anyone who might be interested. Under 70 words. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Personalize at scale without inventing facts

Use whenYou are messaging a list and want every opener to be specific without making things up.

Below is a table of candidates with public details I have checked: [paste columns such as current title, company type, one notable project]. For each row, write one opening sentence that references the detail in that row and connects it to this role: [role summary]. Use only the information in the table. If a row has nothing useful, write "generic" instead of inventing something.

Watch outSpot check a handful of rows against the real profiles before anything is sent.

Answer a candidate’s question about AI in the process

Use whenA candidate asks whether a machine will read their application.

A candidate asked whether AI will screen their application. Our process uses AI for [what it does] and a person reviews [what a person reviews]. Candidates can ask for [alternative route]. Write a clear, honest reply under 100 words without legal jargon. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outDescribe your process as it really runs. If you are not sure, ask whoever owns the ATS first.

Nurture warm candidates without pitching a role

Use whenYou have spoken to someone once, they are not in a process, and you want to be the recruiter they call when they are ready.

I spoke once with a [job title] in [industry or location] who is not looking right now. What I know about them: [career goals, what would make them move, likely timing, no contact details]. Plan three weeks of light touch, one message a week, rotating email, LinkedIn message and text. Each message must give them something: a pay trend for their role, a shift in their market, a sharp question about where their career is heading, or a useful read. None of them may pitch a job. Limits: email under 100 words, LinkedIn under 60, text under 40. Write as a peer, not a salesperson. Mark any market fact I need to check before I send it.

Watch outOnly text people who have agreed to hear from you by text, and check every trend or figure before it goes out.

Approach an executive for a confidential search

Use whenThe client cannot be named yet, and a vague “exciting opportunity” message will be ignored.

I am approaching a senior candidate for a confidential [executive title] search. What their public profile shows: [current role, sector, scale they have run, recent posts or talks, no contact details]. The role: [company stage and size, the challenge, what they would build, rough size of the team]. Write a LinkedIn message under 150 words that refers to one specific thing from their profile, describes the challenge and scale without naming or identifying the company, and ends with a question that starts a conversation rather than asking for a resume. Then write the two line answer I give if they ask who the client is. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outRun the description past the client first. Sector plus stage plus city can be enough to identify them.