Write a short message asking someone at a target company for a referral or a conversation, sized to how well the person knows them, with an easy way to say no. Use when asked how do I ask for a referral, message someone at Google about a job, ask a former colleague to refer me, or write a LinkedIn message to an employee. Produces the message for the right channel and relationship strength, a ready-to-forward blurb the referrer can paste, and a single follow-up. For general networking, see networking-outreach.
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Use referral-request to draft a concise referral or conversation message for [recipient relationship and channel] about [role link or ID], using [one-line candidate fit], plus a forwardable blurb and one follow-up.
Required inputs
[recipient relationship and channel]
[role link or ID]
[one-line candidate fit]
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SKILL.md
name: referral-requestdescription: "Write a short message asking someone at a target company for a referral or a conversation, sized to how well the person knows them, with an easy way to say no. Use when asked how do I ask for a referral, message someone at Google about a job, ask a former colleague to refer me, or write a LinkedIn message to an employee. Produces the message for the right channel and relationship strength, a ready-to-forward blurb the referrer can paste, and a single follow-up. For general networking, see networking-outreach."version: 1.0.0
Referral Request
A referral often beats any CV improvement, and the ask is small if it is easy to say yes to. This skill writes a short message sized to the relationship, attaches a blurb the referrer can forward without rewriting, and makes saying no painless.
Part of the pm-cv bundle. For broader networking messages, see networking-outreach.
What This Skill Produces
The message, for the channel (email, LinkedIn, WeChat, text) and the relationship
A forwardable blurb: three lines the referrer can paste into an internal referral form
One follow-up, for a week later
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided:
Who the person is and how well the sender knows them: close, former colleague, alumni or loose connection, or stranger
The role, with the link or job ID
The sender's one-line fit: why they are a strong candidate
The channel
Working from a brief
Given who the contact is and the shared history, write the message anyway: a short, warm version with an easy way to say no, placeholders for [role link] and [one specific shared memory], and a polite follow-up for if there is no reply. Do not ask for the job link first.
Framework
Size the ask to the relationship:
Close or former colleague: ask for the referral directly.
Alumni or loose connection: ask for fifteen minutes about the team first; the referral comes after.
Stranger: ask one specific question about the role or team. Do not ask for a referral in the first message.
Every message:
One line on the connection ("We worked together on the payments launch at Acme").
The role, with the link or ID.
One line on fit, with a fact.
The ask, sized as above.
An easy out ("No worries at all if it's not a good time").
Under 120 words. No CV attached unless it is a close contact; offer it instead.
Output Format
Referral request: [contact], [company], [role]
1. Message ([channel], [relationship])
2. Forwardable blurb (three lines: who, fit, link)
3. Follow-up (one, a week later, two lines)
Quality Checks
The ask matches the relationship strength
Under 120 words
The role link or ID is included
The easy out is present
The blurb can be pasted without editing
Anti-Patterns
Asking a stranger for a referral in the first message.
Long life stories. The reader decides in a few seconds.
Attaching a CV unasked to a loose connection.
More than one follow-up.
Example Trigger Phrases
"Help me ask a former colleague at Stripe for a referral."
"Write a LinkedIn message to someone on the team I'm applying to."
"How do I ask my university alumni at Tencent for a referral?"