Cold email to recruiters
How to cold email a recruiter for a job
Applying through a careers page puts you in a pile of hundreds. A short, specific email to the recruiter or hiring manager can put you at the top of it, if it's done well.
Here's what to write, when to follow up, and how to reach many people from your own mailbox without landing in spam.
A template that works
Keep it under 120 words, specific to the role, and easy to act on:
- Subject: Backend Engineer role: Go and AWS, 3 years
- Line 1: the exact role and why you're writing to them.
- Lines 2 and 3: one or two results from your work that match what the role needs.
- Line 4: a clear, small ask, such as "Could I send my resume for this role?" or "Is there a better person to speak to?"
- Attach a resume tailored to that role, not a generic one.
Rules that keep you out of spam
- Send from your own mailbox, not a bulk mailing tool.
- Space emails out; a new sender should send a few dozen a day, not hundreds.
- Personalise every email. Identical messages get filtered.
- Follow up once after four or five working days, then stop.
Outreach with OneProfile
Upload a list of contacts, and OneProfile groups them by company and role, drafts a personal email for each group, and attaches the resume tailored to that job. Emails go from your own Gmail or Outlook, spaced out to stay out of spam, and replies come straight to your inbox. OneProfile can send, never read, your mail.
Subject lines that get opened
- "Backend Engineer (Go, AWS): referral from your careers page"
- "Question about the Data Analyst opening in Bengaluru"
- "Fresher frontend developer: built a React app used by 300 students"
- Keep it under about 60 characters, name the role, and put your strongest fact in it.
A short follow-up
If there's no reply after four or five working days, send one short follow-up in the same thread: "Hi, just checking you saw my note about the Backend Engineer role. Happy to send anything else that helps." Then move on; a third email rarely helps.
Who to email
- The recruiter for the role, when the posting or LinkedIn names one: they manage the pipeline.
- The hiring manager, at small companies and startups: they decide, and often read their own email.
- Alumni from your college at the company: a warm introduction or referral beats any cold email.
- Not everyone at once. Several emails to the same company for one role looks like spam.
Questions
Is it okay to email a recruiter directly?
Yes. Recruiters expect it, as long as the email is short, relevant to a real opening, and not repeated too often.
How do I find a recruiter's email address?
Company websites, LinkedIn and the job posting itself often name the recruiter or team. Use addresses that are public or that people have shared with you.
How many emails can I send a day?
Start slowly, around 20 to 30 a day from a new mailbox, and increase over a few weeks. OneProfile spaces emails out for you.
Should I attach my resume to a cold email?
Yes, as a PDF tailored to that role, and mention the role in the email so the attachment makes sense. Keep the file name clear, like Firstname-Lastname-Company-Resume.pdf.
Is cold emailing better than applying online?
Do both. Apply through the careers site so you're in their system, then email the recruiter or hiring manager to get noticed.
Try it on the next job you apply for.
Start outreach free