How to Reach Out Cold & Get Results (4 Templates Provided!)

When searching for a job, the top thing to do is to network. (Getting a warm intro and reference is the “holy grail of a competitive hiring process.” See here.) Yet I know it’s super painful to ask people you don’t know well for an intro or job recommendation. (And it’s super painful for me to get badly written requests to pick my brain or get coffee.) Here are four templates, each requiring different levels of effort from you, that will dramatically increase the odds of your getting a positive response. I recommend doing it now since you can wrap in holiday greetings for folks you know even slightly.

1. Basic request for someone you know (low effort). The template from career guru Austin Belcak begins with a personal greeting, asks for something specific, and ends with a note acknowledging their time and it’s ok if they don’t act: “Hi Amari, It’s been awhile! How are you and Taylor holding up? Did you all end up taking that trip to the Philippines? I know this is out of the blue, but I wanted to reach out because I’m in the market for a transition. I’m specifically targeting UX roles at large agencies like X & Y. [ST: if you ask for the person to keep an eye out for jobs for you, that’s too general, so give examples of what you want.] If you know of anyone who might be good to speak with, I’d be grateful for any connections. I know this is a big ask, so no pressure and no worries if it’s too much! Either way, be well and send my best to the family.”
2. Basic request for someone you don’t know (low effort). Career coach Adam Broda gives this example, which also is short, to the point, and personable: “Hi Adam, I hope you’re well. I wanted to connect, in order to learn more about the entry level PM roles you posted about. I’m currently a _____ at ________university with _____ years of internship experience in the tech industry; including roles at _______ and________. I’ll be a new _______ graduate in _______, and I’m looking to continue my career in the PM space. I’m passionate about ______and I’d love the opportunity to show you how I can create value for your health technology team, just like I delivered this project (insert hyperlink) for my last employer. I hope to speak to you soon and am happy to provide my resume! Thank you.” This message stood out in a sea of requests because it was both undemanding and on-point.
3. Basic request for someone you don’t know (higher effort). Cece Xie is a former MoFo associate who gives career advice via YouTube and TikTok. After being shocked by a horrible outreach (read about it here or her interview with Law.com here), she posted this video on how to effectively do a cold reachout to a lawyer/potential mentor. In a nutshell, (i) explain why you are reaching out to that specific person (e.g., I see you went to X school and did Y. I also go to X school and am interested in Y. Here are examples of my working towards Y goal.); (ii) list specific questions so the recipient can get an idea of the scope of your ask (hopefully it’s easy for the recipient to bang out some quick answers); and (iii) ask questions that you cannot find the answers to online. If potential advisors feel like they are the only ones who can answer your questions, it’s more likely they will respond.
4. The homerun (highest effort). I love this cold outreach thread by Shaan Puri, tech founder and former director of marketing at Twitch. He talks about a winning formula his cousin devised to get connected with a former Facebook exec and current CEO of a hot company. This exec jokingly said he wanted to run for governor of CA and needed a website. The cousin then got it done fast and free, sent the link of the live website to the exec, who promptly reached out to set up time to talk. The takeaway is not to ask for time but instead do something your target values. That person person will then want to meet you.

Now is a good time of year to try any/all of these networking efforts because you have time and because it feels natural to wish happy holidays to people.