How to Craft the Perfect Professional Blurb for Warm Introductions

In today’s world, networking is a critical part of professional success. It’s not just about what you know, but who you know. And in order to expand your network, you need to be able to make connections with people who can help you achieve your goals.

One of the most effective ways to make connections is through warm introductions. A warm introduction is when someone you know introduces you to someone they know, and vouches for you. It’s a powerful way to expand your network and get in touch with people who can help you reach your goals. There are several people who you may be interested in contacting with the help of your contact/connection, such as recruiters and hiring managers.

But in order to get a warm introduction, you need to be able to craft the perfect professional blurb. A professional blurb is a short email that you send to a mutual connection, asking them to forward it on to someone you want to meet. The blurb should be a pitch that explains why you want to meet with the person, and why you think they should be interested in meeting with you.

In this post, we’ll explore how to craft the perfect professional blurb for warm introductions. We’ll cover the essential components of a blurb, content tips, tone, target length, and logistics and social hygiene.

Your blurb will essentially be 2–3 paragraphs of text that tell the reader your value proposition — in other words, the key qualifications you bring and how they can add value to the target employer.

You’ll also want to make sure you include your name, a snapshot of who you are, some big career wins, links to relevant posts/articles/social medial accounts, and a clear call to action (CTA).

Content Tips

When crafting your blurb, it’s important to focus on the content that will be most impactful. Here are some tips:

1. Rehashing what’s on your resume verbatim won’t be effective. Focus 1–2 relevant experiences instead.
2. Avoid generic, non-specific CTAs.
3. Use keywords and phrases that will resonate with the target person. For example, if you’re reaching out to a leader at a targeted company, use language that shows you’ve done your research and understand the company’s mission and values.

Tone

Tone is critical. You want to come across as confident, optimistic, intriguing, and direct. Here are some tips for getting the tone right:

1. Avoid being lofty / overly formal or too informal. Write how you’d speak to a respected colleague.
2. Use first-person language. Be a person, not a resume.
3. Avoid third person (i.e., referring to yourself by your own name).

Target Length

It’s essential to provide enough information without boring your reader. If you can get it done in less words, by all means, do it. Try to stick to a ceiling of no more than 1,000 words.

Use a Clean Email Structure

• Forwardable subject line (i.e, no “great to chat with you”, instead say something like “Tech Project Manager seeking digital transformation positions at Company A”).
• Focused message. Do not digress into other topics.
• No strange formatting
• Single email signature

Use Proper Social Etiquette

Remember to follow social rules of engagement when asking your connections for help. Always be respectful of their time, don’t overcomplicate matters by making too many other requests or asking too many random questions.

To kickoff the process, simply reach out to your connection and ask them if they’d be willing to make an introduction to someone else in their network (your target person). Tell them that if they’re willing, you’ll send them a blurb in a new email, which they can then forward to the target person.

Example

Below is an example of fictional scenario I’ve pieced together to give you a better understanding of what a good blurb would look like.

Hi there, my name is James and I came across some open positions in business development (link) and healthcare operations at HealthPro (link). I believe my skills and experience would make me a strong fit for both roles as they involve working closely with healthcare systems and payers.

Throughout my career, I have successfully managed complex projects with diverse stakeholders such as healthcare providers, patients, internal users, Medicare policymakers, and payers. I am comfortable in building external partnerships with organizations such as ACOs and private equity-backed provider groups that are interested in value-based care. Additionally, I can develop data infrastructure to demonstrate HealthPro’s positive impact on patients’ health outcomes, which can help persuade ACOs and payers to enter into value-based contracts with us.

Previously, I worked directly with Medicare Advantage plans and Medicaid contracts at HealthFirst, which gave me a thorough understanding of the key metrics, persuasion tactics, and sales processes required to win value-based contracts. As someone who is passionate about improving the healthcare industry and aligns with HealthPro’s mission, I believe I would be an asset to your team.

I would love to discuss the open roles in business development and healthcare operations at HealthPro further. Please let me know if and when you are available to talk.

About the Author

James Cooper is a Professional Resume Writer and has been in the recruiting, career coaching, and writing business for 15 years. He began his career recruiting for AECOM, a Canadian engineering firm, and he’s gone on to work with and help professionals land roles at top Fortune 500 companies.

He’s also the cofounder of Final Draft Resumes, a bespoke career services agency.

Have questions about resume writing? Reach out at jc@finaldraftresumes.com.