Library › Writing AI › Job seekers

Follow up with a contact from a networking meetup

  • For Job seekers
  • You practice Giving the right context
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

You met someone at a local UX meetup last night and want to follow up by email. Keep it under 100 words, plain text. Write to the person who offered to look at your portfolio, not the speaker, mention the detail she shared, and include your portfolio link. Ask for 10 minutes of feedback on one case study, not a job. End with exactly "Thanks again, Malik Grant".

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not naming the right person. The AI may write to the speaker, the first name in your notes. Try: Add: "Write to Hannah Brooks, not the speaker."
  • Keeping the ask vague. AI follow-ups say 'would love to stay in touch', which gives her nothing to do. Try: Add: "Ask for 10 minutes of feedback on the food pantry case study and include my link."
  • Slipping in a job ask. Because you're job hunting, the AI often adds 'and if Wildflower has openings...'. Try: Add: "Don't ask about jobs or openings. End with: Thanks again, Malik Grant"
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each part: "4 sentences, each under 18 words."
  • Forgetting where it's going. AI adds bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in her inbox. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the right person
  • Makes one small ask
  • Includes the link
  • Rules out a job ask
  • Sets a length limit

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises