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Ask a former manager to be a reference, with reminders

Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You need a former manager to be a reference. Write the email under 100 words, plain text: the ask, who will call and by when in the first two sentences, then exactly 2 bullets reminding her of projects worth mentioning, then an easy way to say no. Use the corrected recruiter name and deadline. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • No fixed shape. The AI writes a long catch-up email with headings and every project. Try: Be exact: "First two sentences the ask, then exactly 2 bullets."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 100 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each bullet under 14 words, other sentences under 18."
  • Burying the ask. The AI opens with catching up, and the reference request lands in paragraph three. Try: Add: "First two sentences: the ask, who calls, and by when."
  • Using the first name and date. The notes say Mike Dunn and Nov 14 before the correction. Try: Add: "Michelle Dunn, HR, will call by Nov 19."
  • Too many or vague reminders. The AI lists every project, including the closet, or skips the numbers. Try: Add: "2 bullets: book club 4 to 22, summer reading 640 kids."
  • No easy out. Without a graceful exit, a busy person may just not reply. Try: Add: "End with an easy way to say no."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Leads with the ask
  • Uses the correction
  • Limits the reminders
  • Gives an easy out
  • Sets a word limit

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