Connection request templates: industry newcomer to veteran
You are early in a field and want to connect with someone established, without pretending to be a peer.
Straightforward · 181/300 characters
Hi [Name], I am about a year into [field] and your name comes up whenever I ask who to learn from. I am not looking for mentorship, just to follow your work while I find my footing.
Warm · 185/300 characters
Hi [Name], I am new to [field], and your writing is the closest thing I have found to a map. Thank you for putting so much of it in public. I would be glad to connect and keep learning.
Brief · 110/300 characters
Hi [Name], newcomer to [field] here. Your work keeps being recommended to me, so I am connecting to follow it.
Before you send
- Be upfront about being new, veterans can tell anyway.
- Do not ask for a call or mentorship in the first note.
- Say which piece of their work reached you and what it changed.
Replace every [bracketed part] with the real detail, and if the note claims you read something, read it first. The 300-character limit counts everything; the counts above already include the brackets.
Make it yours: Connection Request Writer
For a specific person, the writer drafts three registers from who they actually are and your honest reason. Templates generalize; the writer personalizes.
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