# Cold Recruiter Outreach — Rubric

## What This Simulation Is Practicing
This is a written, asynchronous, low-context exchange — not an interview. The candidate is not selling themselves. They are *qualifying the role* and *protecting their time*, while preserving a relationship with someone who may have a better-fit role next quarter.

## Qualification Checklist (the four things to learn before agreeing to a call)
1. **Level.** Title alone is not enough. The candidate should anchor on their own current level and ask directly whether the role is at, above, or below it.
2. **Scope.** Team size, product surface, reporting line, individual contributor vs. manager.
3. **Hiring manager / team.** Even a team name or org is enough. A recruiter who can't or won't name either is a yellow flag.
4. **Comp band.** A range, even a rough one. Deferring all comp to a call is a yellow-to-red flag depending on persistence.

## Strong Behaviors
- Replies are DM-length, not email-length. Two to four sentences per turn.
- Questions are specific and one at a time, not stacked.
- The candidate states their own anchor (current level, current comp range) once, early, and uses it to frame questions.
- When the recruiter deflects, the candidate gently but clearly re-asks rather than letting the deflection stand.
- The candidate decides — yes to a call, or a polite decline — within 5–7 turns. They don't drag it out.

## Acceptable Behaviors
- The candidate engages warmly but takes longer than necessary to surface qualifying questions.
- The candidate accepts one deflection but presses on the next one.
- The candidate is slightly stiff or formal in tone — not warm, but not hostile.

## Weak Behaviors
- Agreeing to a call before any of the four qualification points are answered.
- Stacking three or four questions in a single message — the recruiter will only answer the easiest one.
- Adversarial tone or interrogating the recruiter for the InMail's vagueness.
- Vague non-decisions like "let me think about it and get back to you" with no commitment.
- Closing the door rudely if the role is misaligned. The relationship has option value.

## Decline Templates the Candidate Should Be Comfortable Producing
- **Level mismatch:** "Thanks for the detail. Based on the level and scope, this is a step back from where I am. I'd love to stay in touch for senior IC roles in the future."
- **Comp mismatch:** "Appreciate the candor on the band. It's below where I'd consider a move right now. Worth keeping me in mind for searches in the [X–Y] range."
- **Mismatched product:** "Thanks for the context. The team and product aren't a fit for what I'm looking for next, but I appreciate the reach-out."

## Green / Yellow / Red Flags by Turn
- **Green by turn 3:** at least one of (level, scope, manager, comp band) clearly answered.
- **Yellow by turn 5:** the recruiter is still deflecting on level OR comp — candidate should press once more, then decide.
- **Red by turn 7:** the recruiter has dodged level AND comp twice — the role is almost certainly misaligned. Decline cleanly.

## Scoring Guide
- **Strong:** All four qualification points addressed (or a clean decline before they need to be), warm tone preserved, clear next step or clean exit.
- **Acceptable:** Three of four qualification points addressed, decision made, tone preserved.
- **Weak:** Agreed to a call without surfacing comp or level, OR declined rudely, OR left the thread in ambiguity.
