My 5-Step Guide to Writing Cold Emails: Robotics Edition
You might be one email away from your next big opportunity!
In my experience, most robotics roles, research labs, and internships are never posted publicly.
They go to people who show up early, prove they care, and know how to write one good email.
That is where cold outreach comes in.
A cold email is an unsolicited email sent to someone who has not previously interacted with the sender or their organisation.
But not the spammy kind.
Not “Dear Sir/Madam.”
Not “Please find my resume attached.”
This is how you write an email that actually gets read and gets replies.
Step 1: Start With One Specific Person
Do not send mass emails.
Find one person whose work aligns with your interests, like a professor, engineer, research assistant, or startup founder.
Where to look:
GitHub repos
University lab websites
LinkedIn
Conference authors
Robotics company team pages
Step 2: Open With Something Personal
Start your email with proof that you have done your homework. Reference their work directly.
✅ Suggestion:
“Hi Dr. Lee, I really enjoyed your recent ICRA paper on multi-agent coordination. It helped me rethink my own approach to planning with ROS 2.”
❌ Avoid:
“Dear Professor, I am interested in robotics and looking for opportunities.”
Step 3: Introduce Yourself With Relevance
Keep it short.
Do not list your full resume.
Mention who you are and what you have worked on that aligns with them.
“I am a mechatronics student with experience in SLAM, and I’ve recently been experimenting with frontier exploration in Gazebo.”
Show, don’t tell.
Include proof (GitHub repo, video demo, portfolio link).
Step 4: Make a Simple Ask
Your goal is not to get hired on the spot.
Ask for one of the following:
To contribute to their project (even as a volunteer)
A short call or feedback
A recommendation on how to get started
“If there is any way I could support your research this summer, I would love to contribute.”
Step 5: Close Warmly and Follow Up
Wrap up with gratitude, not pressure.
“Thank you for your time. Even a quick pointer or resource recommendation would help me a long way.”
If you do not hear back in 5–7 days, follow up once. Keep it friendly and short.
You do not always need a referral to stand out.
You need:
Curiosity
Initiative
A clear message
Proof of work
Opportunities in robotics are not always visible.
But they can be made available to those who ask well.
Resources to start building today:
🌟 Open Source Robotics Projects on GitHub
📚 GitHub Repositories to Learn Robotics
🛠️ ROS Resources
🚀 ROS 2 Resources
🎥 YouTube Channels & Playlists to Learn Robotics
🏫 Free University Courses
📖 Books to Learn Robotics
🎮 Robotic Simulators
FREE access here - getintorobotics.com
Hit reply: I read every email.