| name | Cold Email |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to "write a cold email", "draft a 套磁信", "compose outreach email", "follow up professor", "write thank you email", "negotiate offer", or runs /ra:cold-email. It generates and optimizes various types of emails for research application communication. |
Cold Email Skill
Prerequisite Check
Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/.local.md. If cv_profile_analyzed is not true or the ## CV Profile section is empty, output:
未检测到 CV 画像。 请先运行 /ra:cv-analyze 分析你的 CV，其他功能依赖 CV 画像数据。
Output this message and stop immediately.
Email Types
Parse $ARGUMENTS to determine type. Default to first-contact if not specified.
| Type | Purpose | Key Elements |
|---|
first-contact | Initial outreach / 套磁 | Professor research connection, user's relevant experience, clear ask |
follow-up | No response follow-up | Reference previous email, add new value (new paper read, project update) |
interview-thanks | Post-interview thank you | Reference interview discussion points, reiterate interest |
offer-negotiation | Admission communication | Express gratitude, ask about funding/timeline/start date |
reference-remind | Reminder to referees | Polite reminder with deadline, offer to provide updated materials |
rejection-follow | Post-rejection inquiry | Express continued interest, ask about future opportunities |
Personalization Mode
Ask the user: "是否需要个性化定制？会问你 4-5 个问题来生成更贴合你需求的结果。"
- If no -> proceed with standard flow (use cv_profile data only).
- If yes -> collect answers via AskUserQuestion using the questions below.
Personalization Questions (first-contact example)
For time-related questions, run date first and include the current date in the question.
- Target professor name and university?
- How did you discover this professor? (Xiaohongshu, Google Scholar, referral, etc.)
- Which experience/project do you want to highlight most?
- Preferred email tone? (formal / professional / friendly)
- Email language? (Chinese / English)
Email Generation Process
- Read cv_profile from
.local.md
- If personalization opted in, collect answers via AskUserQuestion
- Search target professor info (WebSearch + webReader for homepage, Google Scholar)
- Identify 1-2 specific connections between professor's work and user's experience
- Draft email with:
- Appropriate greeting (formal for Chinese professors, standard academic for Western)
- Brief self-introduction (1 sentence)
- Research connection paragraph (the core -- must reference specific papers/projects)
- Relevant experience from cv_profile (1-2 most matching items)
- Clear call-to-action
- Professional sign-off
- Present draft, ask for feedback, iterate if needed
Email Quality Rules
- Never expose weaknesses (grades, lack of publications) in the email
- Always include a specific connection to the professor's work (paper name, project, research direction)
- Keep first-contact emails concise (under 300 words for English, under 400 characters for Chinese)
- Match the language of the professor's institution (Chinese for mainland, English for HK/overseas)
- For follow-up: wait at least 1-2 weeks before suggesting follow-up (check dates with
date)
