Write a short sourcing message that is specific and honest

About this exercise

Write one outreach message to a potential candidate in plain text, under 85 words. Open with one specific fact from her public work, state the role, location and pay range from the brief, and ask exactly this one question: Would a 15-minute call next week be useful? No flattery words like amazing, impressive or rockstar. Do not hint at confidential projects. First line: Hi Noor, and last line: Dev Patel, Recruiter at Clearfield Labs.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Leaking confidential details. The AI mentions the acquisition or higher budget. Try: Say: "Only share role, location and the posted pay range."
• Flattery. The AI says 'your impressive work'. Try: Say: "No flattery words. Use one specific fact instead."
• Several asks. The AI asks for a call, a resume and a referral. Try: Say: "Ask exactly one low-pressure question."
• Generic open. The AI writes 'I came across your profile'. Try: Say: "Exact first and last lines as given."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each part instead, for example: "each line under 15 words."
• Markdown. The AI bolds words or adds headings. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Exact first and last lines
• Specific fact
• Pay range
• One question
• No flattery

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