The forwardable intro email, for job seekers
The single most useful email in a job search is one you write for someone else to send. Here’s how to ask for an introduction and make it effortless to say yes.
Most advice about forwardable emails is written for founders raising money. The same tool works even better in a job search, because the people you’re asking are usually friends and former colleagues who already want to help.
A forwardable intro email is a short note you write about yourself, in the third person, that your contact can forward to someone else without editing. You send it right after they agree to introduce you. They forward it to the other person and ask, “Interested?” You only get connected once that person says yes.
What a forwardable email is#
A forwardable email is a self-contained message your contact can pass along in one click. It explains who you are, why the recipient should talk to you, and what you’re asking for, so the person making the introduction doesn’t have to write anything.
It matters because the bottleneck in most introductions is the introducer’s effort. They mean to help, then it sits in their inbox for a week because writing a good intro takes thought. If you’ve already written it, the intro happens the same day.
What a double opt-in introduction is#
A double opt-in introduction is an intro where both people agree before they’re connected. Your contact checks with the other person first, privately, and only puts you in touch once they say yes. You opted in by asking; they opt in by agreeing.
Phyl Terry, author of Never Search Alone, is blunt about why this matters. People introduced to him without his agreement are, in his words, people he doesn’t want to speak to. His fix is to ask your contact to get permission first, and to write that request for them in their voice.
What I want you to do is say, Aakash, would you mind actually asking them permission to introduce us? ... I’m going to even give you the template to make your life easy. Here’s my attempt in your voice to ask this other person permission to introduce them to me. Make it easy for everybody.
The upside for you: everyone who gets on a call with you actually chose to be there.
How to ask for an introduction#
Ask at the end of a conversation, when it’s going well. Name the person if you can, because a specific name is far easier to act on than “anyone you know.”
“I noticed you’re connected to Priya Shah at Northwind. Would you be open to introducing me? If it’s easier, I’ll send you a short note you can forward to her first, so she can decide if she’s up for it.”
If they say yes, thank them and send the forwardable email within the hour, while they still remember the conversation. If they hesitate, let it go gracefully and ask who else comes to mind. The networking step covers the ask in more detail.
The forwardable intro email template#
Write it in the introducer’s voice, about you in the third person. Keep it under 100 words. It needs four things:
- Who you are, in one line, with one concrete result.
- Why this particular recipient would find the conversation worth their time.
- What you’re asking for, with a time box: 20 minutes, a specific topic.
- An easy out: “Happy to connect you if you’re up for it.”
Subject: Intro to [your name]?
Hi [recipient], would you be up for a quick intro to [your name]? [He/She/They] [what you do], most recently [one concrete result]. [They’re] now looking at [the specific next thing], and given [something specific about the recipient or their company], I think you’d both get a lot out of 20 minutes. Happy to connect you if you’re up for it.
Send it with one line on top for your contact: “Here’s a blurb you can forward to Priya, so she can decide whether she’s up for it. Thanks again.” You don’t need to add “feel free to edit.” If they want to, they will.
Three forwardable email examples#
A former colleague introducing you to a hiring manager#
Subject: Intro to Maya Chen?
Hi Sam, would you be up for an intro to Maya Chen? We worked together at Ledgerly, where she ran growth for the consumer app and took week-one retention from 31% to 44% by rebuilding onboarding. She saw your senior growth PM opening and it lines up closely with what she did for us. I’d vouch for her. Happy to connect you if you’re up for it.
A friend introducing you to someone at a target company#
Subject: Quick intro? Ops person interested in Gridline
Hi Alex, would you be open to an intro to my friend Jordan Reyes? Jordan has spent six years running supply planning for a 40-city marketplace and is looking at operations roles in energy companies. Gridline keeps coming up, and I thought 20 minutes with you on how your ops team works would help Jordan figure out whether it’s a fit. Happy to connect you if you’re up for it.
A career changer asking for advice#
Subject: Intro to a former agency colleague?
Hi Dana, would you be up for a quick intro to Chris Patel? Chris spent eight years in agency account management, where clients kept renewing because Chris kept their projects on track. Chris is looking at a move in-house and trying to decide between customer success and partnerships. You made almost the same move, so I think 20 minutes of your perspective would be really useful. Happy to connect you if you’re up for it.
Notice the third one asks for advice, not a job. When you’re changing careers, that’s the right ask. People are much quicker to give perspective than to vouch for a fit they can’t judge yet.
Subject lines that get forwarded#
The subject line has to make sense out of context, because it’s going to land in a stranger’s inbox. Keep it short and specific.
- Intro to [your name]?
- Quick intro? [Role] interested in [company]
- Intro: [your name], [one-line description]
- [Mutual contact] suggested we talk
Avoid “Networking request” or “Job opportunity.” They read like spam and say nothing about why the recipient should care.
What the introducer does#
You’re asking your contact to do three small things:
- Forward your blurb to the other person with a line like “Interested?”
- Wait for a yes.
- Reply-all to connect you both.
That’s it. Marc Baselga, co-host of Supra Insider, describes what makes it easy from the helper’s side: an outreach note that gave him context and a light ask, rather than a list of people to connect him to. The lighter the ask, the more he wanted to help.
Even your ask was just so light... You literally just walked me through the situation, gave me a very detailed update... It was so easy for me to help him. Just getting that update made me want to help him too.
If a week goes by with no word, a gentle nudge is fine: “Just checking whether you had a chance to send that note to Priya. No worries if it’s not a good time.”
Reply once you’re connected#
When the introduction arrives, reply the same day. Thank the introducer and move them to BCC, so they can see you followed up without getting every scheduling email.
Thanks, Sam (moving you to BCC). Hi Priya, great to meet you. I’d love 20 minutes to hear how your team thinks about activation this year. Would Tuesday or Thursday afternoon work? Happy to work around your schedule.
Offer specific times or a scheduling link, and do the logistics yourself. You’re the one asking.
Close the loop with the introducer#
After the conversation, send your contact one short sentence: “Talked to Priya today, great conversation, and she’s introducing me to her VP.” It takes a minute, and it’s how you become someone people are glad to introduce again.
Sam Lessin, a partner at Slow Ventures, says the thank-you should be short and genuine. A few lines is enough.
Follow up with gratitude, like you should send people thank you notes. It shouldn’t be long, it shouldn’t be ridiculous. But like, we met, I got something out of it. Thank you for taking your time. It’s always appreciated.
When you land a job, tell everyone who made an introduction. The offers step has an example.
Write a forwardable intro email my contact can send to someone they're introducing me to. Me: [YOUR TWO-SENTENCE STORY, plus one specific result] The introducer: [NAME, how they know me and my work] The recipient: [NAME, ROLE, COMPANY, anything I know about their priorities] What I'm asking for: [e.g. 20 minutes on how their team approaches X, or advice on a career move] Rules: - Third person about me, in the introducer's voice, so it can be forwarded unchanged. - Under 100 words. One concrete result. One reason this recipient specifically would want the conversation. - End with a double opt-in line, like "Happy to connect you if you're up for it." - No hype words like "amazing", "rockstar" or "superstar". - Give me three subject line options that make sense to a stranger. Then write the one-line note I send the introducer along with it.
Questions people ask#
What is a forwardable email?#
A short, self-contained email about you, written so your contact can forward it to someone else without editing. It says who you are, why the recipient should take the conversation, and what you’re asking for.
What does double opt-in mean for introductions?#
Both people agree before they’re connected. Your contact checks with the other person privately first, then introduces you only if they say yes, so nobody ends up in a conversation they didn’t choose.
Should the forwardable email be in first person or third person?#
Third person, in the introducer’s voice. It’s going out under their name, so it should read like they wrote it.
What if my contact wants to write the intro themselves?#
Let them. Send the blurb anyway as raw material. Most people will use it, and the ones who rewrite it still benefit from having the facts in front of them.
How do I ask for a referral instead of an introduction?#
A referral is a stronger ask: your contact submits you for a specific role and puts their name behind you. The referral request guide has message templates. If you’re not sure the person knows your work well enough, start with an intro or an informational interview.