1 min lesson
Template vs. personalized: the difference a candidate feels
Compare two rows from "Template vs. personalized: the difference a candidate feels", then say when each one fits.
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 the New York office."
- 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 the New York office." |
| "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 (New York office) Hi Priya, Really glad to get you in front of the team. Here's everything for Thursday: When: Thurs Jun 19, 10:00am ET (9:00am Central, your time in Austin) Where: the New York office, 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 tool rules for the project session are in the prep note, so nothing about the setup is a surprise. 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: 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?