PhraseryPhrasery homeGet Phrasery
CV & career21 categories

A networking message that is not cringeworthy

Reaching out cold to someone whose work you actually rate.

Longnetworkingoutreachwriting
Write a cold outreach message to the person below. Under 120 words.

Rules:
- Open with the specific reason I am contacting *them*, not a generic compliment. If I have not given you a real reason, tell me the message should not be sent yet.
- One line on who I am, only what is relevant to them.
- Make the ask small, clear and easy to decline: a specific question, or 20 minutes, not "pick your brain" and not "any advice".
- No flattery about their "incredible journey". No pretending we have met.
- Leave them an obvious graceful exit.

Then give me a one-line subject or first line for the preview pane, and tell me whether this is worth sending at all.

Who they are and why I want to talk to them:


About me:

Making it yours

  • Paste your own material where the prompt asks for it. Everything above that line is instruction, not content.
  • Delete any rule that does not apply to you. A shorter prompt that fits beats a thorough one that does not.
  • If the answer comes back vague, add a line saying what you do not want. Constraints work better than encouragement.

Applications. Aiming at one specific role: tailoring, cover letters, explaining a gap or a change of industry.

Related prompts

Tailor my CV to this job descriptionApplying for a specific role and your CV is currently generic.Cover letter that does not sound like everyone else'sWhen the application asks for a letter and you're tempted to reuse the same one.Explain a gap in my CV honestlyThere is a visible gap and you keep rewriting the sentence about it.Translate my experience for a different industryChanging sector and your CV reads as insider language nobody there recognises.Match me against this job adApplying for a specific role and wanting an honest read on the fit.Three cover letter openingsThe first paragraph is the only one they are guaranteed to read.

Keep this one

Phrasery saves prompts with a right-click and puts them back the same way. Add this to your own library in one click.

Add to your browser — free