The Cognitive
The Blind Profile Kit
How to send a hiring manager a candidate they never asked for, and get a reply.
The 5 lines
A blind profile is short enough to read on a phone between meetings. Five lines, one job each. Pick a line to see what a weak and a strong version look like.
What to leave out
Most of the work is deleting. Every item here either gives the placement away or gets the email skimmed.
| Leave out | Why | Write this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Name and current employer | The manager can go to the person directly, and you are out of the deal. | "A top-20 auto insurer", "a Series B payments company" |
| The CV | Same risk, and an attachment gets filed for later. | Send it after the yes, with the candidate's OK. |
| Adjectives | "Exceptional", "rockstar" and "top talent" are in every recruiter email they get. | One number from what they built. |
| Years of experience | Says how long, not what they can do. | The result: what changed because of them. |
| Current salary | It is the candidate's to share, and it pulls the offer down. | Talk pay on the call. |
| "Hope this finds you well" | The first line is the preview. Don't spend it on nothing. | Start with line 1: what they built. |
Profile and company in, blind profile and follow-up out
Paste this into Claude with the candidate's profile and what you know about the company. It writes the email, the reason this company fits, three subject lines and the day-4 follow-up. It also lists what in the profile would give the person away, before it writes anything.
I'm marketing a candidate to a hiring manager who hasn't asked for anyone. Write a blind profile email. Candidate profile: [paste the CV or LinkedIn text] What the candidate said I can share: [why they'd move, when they're free, notice period] Company: [name, and anything I know: news, open roles, the team] Hiring manager: [name and title] First, list anything in the profile that would identify the person: their name, employer, a rare title, a known project, a small company, a school. Leave all of it out of the email. Then write the email. 5 lines, under 90 words, no bullet points. Line 1: what they built or delivered, with one number taken from the profile. Line 2: why they would move now, only from what I said I can share. If I didn't give a reason, write [ask the candidate] instead of guessing. Line 3: why this company: one specific fact about it and how this person fits it. If I gave you no fact, look it up and tell me the source. If you can't find one, say so and don't invent one. Line 4: when they can talk, and their notice period. Line 5: one question the manager can answer yes or no. Never use: exceptional, rockstar, top talent, perfect fit, "I came across", "hope this finds you well", "I have a great candidate". No years of experience. No salary. Then give me: 1. 3 subject lines: under 5 words, lowercase, written the way a colleague would write. 2. Why this company, in 2 sentences, for my notes. 3. A day-4 follow-up: 2 lines, one new fact that wasn't in the first email, the same yes/no question. Never "just checking in" or "bumping this". Don't send anything.
Before and after
The same person, written two ways. The first is how most agency emails read. The second is the 5 lines.
Hi Dana, I hope this email finds you well!
I'm reaching out because I'm working with an exceptional Pricing Actuary with 8+ years of experience who would be a fantastic addition to your team. He is a highly motivated self-starter with strong communication skills and a proven track record.
I've attached his CV. Let me know if you'd like to set up a call!
Hi Dana,
Built the personal auto rating model at a top-20 carrier; loss ratio down 3.1 points over two filings.
Their team is moving to Hartford and they are staying in Chicago.
You filed new auto rates in 4 states this year. This is that work.
Free any afternoon next week, 4 weeks' notice.
Worth 15 minutes on Thursday to hear more?
Mock example · people and companies are made up
3 example emails, with the follow-up
Three roles, three kinds of manager. Each shows the email, the day-4 follow-up and the note on why this company.
Mock example · people and companies are made up
Subject lines
The subject decides whether line 1 gets read. Short, lowercase, and it should read like a note from someone they know.
| Rule | Not this | This |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 words | "Exceptional Pricing Actuary Available for Your Team" | pricing actuary, chicago |
| Lowercase, no exclamation marks | "Top Talent Alert!" | someone for your auto team |
| Name the work, not the person | "Senior candidate, 8+ years" | payments engineer, remote us |
| No fake "re:" or "fwd:" | "Re: our conversation" | for the new tower icu |
| No "candidate", "opportunity" or "talent" | "Great candidate opportunity" | icu nurse manager, phoenix |
The hiring manager and their personal email, in the same chat
A blind profile only works when it reaches the person the candidate would report to, not a careers inbox. Connect The Cognitive to Claude once, then ask for the managers and their emails right after Claude writes the pitch.
- Create a free account: 7 days, 100 credits, no card.
- Claude → Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, paste
https://app.thecognitive.io/mcpand sign in. - Ask: "Find the head of pricing at 3 insurers in Chicago that write personal auto, and get their personal emails."
What it costs
1 credit per person shown, nothing when nobody matches. A personal email is 4 credits. Sending from your own Gmail or Outlook needs Pro. Nothing is ever sent without your yes.Searched for heads of pricing, Chicago insurers3 shown · 3 credits
Personal auto · pricing leaders · Chicago area
Found personal emails3 found · 12 credits
3 personal emails
3 managers, each with a reason this candidate fits:
Example · people and companies are made up
Your trial includes the Claude connection. One candidate in, the managers to pitch and their emails out.
Start free trialBring one candidate. Leave with the managers to pitch.
- Start the free trial7 days, 100 people included
- Book 30 minutesBring a candidate you'd market
- We run it with you, liveManagers, emails, the first blind profiles
Your next MPC goes out with a reason for every manager.
Start free, connect Claude, paste a profile. 100 credits covers about 100 people found.
Want it run on your own candidate? Book 30 minutes and we'll do it live together. sparsh@thecognitive.io · Sparsh, founder