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Ask a former coworker for a referral in one short message
Practice: Setting limits and rules. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You want a former coworker to refer you for an opening at her company. Write a LinkedIn message under 70 words. The first sentence is the ask with the current job ID, then one line on why you fit, then offer to send a 3-line blurb she can paste. No 'I hope you're doing well' opener. Write a prompt that gets that message.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 70 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "3 sentences, each under 18 words."
- Warming up too long. AI messages open with "Hope you're doing well! It's been a while...", so the ask lands at the end. Try: Say it: "First sentence is the ask, with job ID R-4498."
- Using the closed job ID. The notes list the old ID first. The AI may use R-4471, which leads to a dead link. Try: Add: "Use the current ID, R-4498."
- No reason or no help. The AI asks for a favor without making it easy for her to say yes. Try: Add: "One line on my 21-to-12-day result, then offer a 3-line blurb she can paste."
What a strong prompt includes
- Sets a word limit
- Leads with the ask
- Uses the current job ID
- Makes it easy for her
- Skips the warm-up
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