1 min lesson
Template vs. personalized - the difference a candidate feels
Use two rows in "Template vs. personalized - the difference a candidate feels" to state the practical decision rules.
Step 1 of 3
Template vs. personalized - the difference a candidate feels
- Boilerplate
- "We would like to schedule your interview."
- Human
- "Congrats on clearing the HM screen, Priya - the team's excited to bring you to Soho."
- Boilerplate
- "Please find the details below."
- Human
- "Here's everything for Thursday and since you're flying in from Austin I've built in buffer after you land."
- Boilerplate
- "We will be in touch."
- Human
- "You'll hear from me by end of day Friday either way - I won't leave you hanging over the weekend."
| Boilerplate | Human |
|---|---|
| "We would like to schedule your interview." | "Congrats on clearing the HM screen, Priya - the team's excited to bring you to Soho." |
| "Please find the details below." | "Here's everything for Thursday and since you're flying in from Austin I've built in buffer after you land." |
| "We will be in touch." | "You'll hear from me by end of day Friday either way - I won't leave you hanging over the weekend." |
Same information, opposite feeling. The right column costs about twenty extra seconds.
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Full explanation
An interview invite that reads like a person wrote it
An interview invite that reads like a person wrote it
Subject: Your Cursor onsite - Thurs Jun 19, 10:00am ET (Soho) Hi Priya, Really glad to get you in front of the team. Here's everything for Thursday: When: Thurs Jun 19, 10:00am ET (3:00pm if you're checking from London) Where: 1 Cursor Way, Soho NYC - I'll meet you in the lobby Loop: 4 sessions, ~5 hrs incl. lunch with the team With: Sam (Talent), Dana + Lee (interviewers), Alex (HM) A few things to make the day easy: - Flight + hotel are booked; details in the calendar invite. - Lunch is on us - reply with any dietary needs and I'll handle it. - The project session is no-AI-tools, so come ready to work by hand. Text me at 555-0142 if anything shifts the morning of. See you Thursday! - Jordan
Watch out
Personalized does not mean long. A wall of warm text buries the logistics a nervous candidate is scanning for. Lead with the one human line, then make the when / where / who impossible to miss. Speed matters too - at Cursor's pace, a same-day reply signals respect for their time better than a perfect paragraph sent tomorrow.
QA scenario exercise asks you to draft an interview invite for a candidate flying in. What's the most important thing to get right beyond a friendly tone?