Reaching out directly to hiring managers bypasses the ATS entirely and puts your application in front of a decision-maker before the formal process begins. The challenge is writing a message that is short, specific, and respectful of their time while giving them a clear reason to respond. This concept covers what works in direct hiring manager outreach and what reliably fails.
Cold email outreach to hiring managers is the practice of proactively contacting the person who would actually make the hiring decision — rather than applying through an ATS — to express interest, demonstrate research, and request a conversation before or alongside a formal application. It bypasses the resume black hole and puts a human connection into the process early.
Most job seekers avoid this because writing a compelling cold email without sounding desperate or generic is genuinely difficult; AI can help you research the right framing, personalize the message, and strike the tone that gets responses.
Give ChatGPT the hiring manager's name, their company, the role you're targeting, and two specific things you know about their team or recent work, then prompt: 'Write a 150-word cold email that opens with a specific observation about their work, connects it to my background, and ends with a low-pressure ask for a 15-minute call.'
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
Explore related journeys or tell Peri what you're working through.