1 min lesson
Add a brief rationale if asked
Talk this through in your own words: "The take-home prompt doesn't explicitly ask for a rationale. Should you include one anyway?" Finish with the next move.
Step 1 of 2
Add a brief rationale if asked
Many take-homes ask why you chose this account, persona and angle. A short, sharp rationale is where you prove the thinking behind the writing and it's often weighted as heavily as the email itself.
- 1Why this account. The trigger event and the signal that made it timely.
- 2Why this persona. Who owns the pain and can act and why you chose them over a peer.
- 3Why this angle. The single value you led with and why it fits their reality.
Read every message out loud once. Check the recipient's name and company spelling twice. Confirm there's one CTA per touch and that no two touches repeat. Re-open your LinkedIn profile and make sure it's consistent with the voice you just wrote.
If the prompt is silent on rationale, include three or four crisp lines anyway. Volunteering your reasoning shows the judgment Cursor wants in an SDR who'll soon help build the playbook - and it gives the grader a reason to picture you as an AE.