She sent 35 messages.
Only two people replied.
But those two changed everything.
She had been on a 6-year career break.
Her inbox was a graveyard of ignored applications and unanswered follow-ups.
After a while, she stopped checking it.
It felt pointless.
One day, she showed me her sent folder.
Same message.
Copied and pasted.
Slightly reworded.
Always ended with: “Let me know if you hear of anything.”
There was nothing wrong with her.
She just didn’t know how to reach people in a way that made them care.
Most people don’t.
Here’s what no one teaches you:
People aren’t ignoring you.
They’re ignoring messages that don’t make them feel seen.
When you’re coming back after a break — or after being laid off — you’re not just writing for opportunity.
You’re writing for connection.
And connection starts with attention.
We rewrote her message.
Not with fancy words.
Not with flattery.
Just four simple parts:
Customise: Say something specific about them. Something real.
Connect: Mention why you're reaching out. Keep it clear.
Compliment: One honest line. Not overdone. Just true.
Close: A question they can answer in under 10 seconds.
She sent five new messages using this.
Two replied.
One turned into a conversation.
That turned into a referral.
That turned into a job.
No courses.
No premium resume.
No big hacks.
Just one good message.
To one real person.
At the right time.
Written the right way.
That’s the kind of luck you can build.
And maybe — if you're reading this — you needed that reminder too.
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