LinkedIn cold outreach is a great way to connect with professionals, grow your network, and even secure referrals. It’s all about taking initiative and building relationships with people who can offer valuable insights.

When crafting your message, make it personal—mention something about their work that resonates with you or a shared connection, like being alumni of the same school. Building a network early, especially BEFORE recruiting season, is key. Waiting for responses when a job has been posted for over 48 hours can be stressful, so don’t delay applying if you don’t have a referral ready.

Focus on connecting with alumni—they’re often more willing to help, and shared experiences make breaking the ice easier. Finally, stay optimistic. Responses can depend on timing and luck, but putting in the effort and being personable will increase your chances. Keep at it—you’ve got this!

Below we have included various templates to get you started and give you a framework in which you can structure your responses. Remember, do not be a robot and copy and paste this template to over 100 people, make each one unique to the person.

Template for Recruiters

Hi [firstName]!

I'm a [yourYear] at [yourUniversity] studying [yourMajor], and I'm excited about [companyName]'s [positionName] internship for Summer 2026. I also noticed that you went to [yourUniversity] as well!

I recently followed [companyName]'s work on [achievement/project] and was particularly drawn to [specific detail about the project]. With my background in [relevantSkill] from [brief specific example], I believe I could contribute meaningfully to similar initiatives.

Would you be open to a 15-minute conversation about the internship opportunities at [companyName]? I'm available [give 2-3 specific times] next week.

Best regards,

[yourName]

Template for Previous Interns

Hi [firstName]!

I noticed your LinkedIn post about your internship experience at [companyName] last summer. Your insights about [mention something specific they shared] really resonated with me as a fellow [university/major] student.

I'm preparing to apply for the [department] internship this summer and would love to learn from your experience. Particularly, I'm curious about [specificAspect] and how you [mention a specific achievement/project they worked on].

Would you be open to a 15-minute chat? I'm available [give 2-3 specific times] next week.

Thank you,

[yourName]

Connection Request

When connecting with someone on LinkedIn, it is always better to add a note along with the connection request. Nothing crazy, just something short and sweet should do the trick. Feel free to reference the template bellow:

“Hi [firstName], I noticed you recruit for [companyName]. As a [yourMajor] student at [yourUniversity], I'm excited about [companyName]'s work in [specificField]. Would love to connect and learn more about potential opportunities.”

Use these templates above to give you a blueprint for your messages, and go out there and crush it. Stay focused, put in the reps, and good luck :)