The limits to know
As of this writing, a free LinkedIn account can add a note of up to 200 characters to a connection request, and Premium allows 300. Free accounts can also send only a small number of personalised invitations each month; when you run out, the request goes without a note. LinkedIn changes these numbers, so check what your account allows.
What goes in the note
- Who you are, in a few words. Your year and field: "a CS student building backend tools in Go".
- One real reason you are writing to them. Their team, the role, a project of theirs, a shared school.
- Nothing for them to do yet. Keep the ask for your message after they accept.
Eight examples
Each fits the 200-character free limit. Replace the details with your own, and don't claim a connection you don't have.
Hi Dana, I'm a CS student building backend tools in Go and looking for a summer internship. I saw your Backend Intern posting and would like to connect.
Hi Marcus, I'm a student who built a job queue in Go and I'm curious how your team handles retries. Would be glad to connect.
Hi Priya, I'm a final-year student at VIT and saw you're on the payments team at Stripe. I'd value connecting and hearing about your path.
Hi Ana, I used your queue library in a project and built a small tool on top of it. I'm a student looking for an internship. Glad to connect.
Hi Sam, we met at the Bangalore Go meetup after your talk on connection pooling. I'd like to stay in touch.
Hi Leo, I'm applying for the Data Engineering internship at Acme and built a Spark pipeline for my college. Glad to connect and learn about the team.
Hi Jo, I sent a small fix to your project last week. I'm a student looking for a first internship. Happy to connect.
Hi Kim, I'm a CS student interested in infrastructure and I follow your team's work. Would be glad to connect.
After they accept
Send a short message the same day or the next: thank them, say what you built in one line, and ask your small question. Don't paste a long pitch.
Hi Dana, thanks for connecting. I built a rate limiter in Go for our campus API (github.com/alexchen/limiter) and I'm looking for a backend internship from June. Is the Backend Intern role still open, and could I send you my resume?
Mistakes
- Selling in the note. Few people accept a request that opens with a pitch.
- Leaving the wrong company in a reused note. Read it once more before you send.
- Sending dozens of requests a day. LinkedIn restricts accounts that send too many.
- Asking a stranger for a referral in the first message. Build a little context first.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to add a note to a LinkedIn connection request?
- No. A request without a note is normal. A short, specific note helps when the person doesn't know you.
- How many characters can a LinkedIn connection note have?
- As of this writing, 200 on a free account and 300 on Premium. Free accounts also get a limited number of notes each month. Check your own account, because LinkedIn changes these limits.
- Should I send a note or wait and message after they accept?
- Send a short note, then your real message after they accept. You generally can't message people you're not connected to without paid features.
- Should I ask for a referral in the connection note?
- No. Connect first, ask a small question in your message, and let them offer a referral if they think you fit.