Day 2 of CNY.

If you sent those recommendations yesterday — nice work.

If you didn't, no judgment. Do it today.

But here's what I've been thinking about.

The recommendation move works because it's specific and it requires zero effort from the other person.

You give first. You make it easy. You don't ask for anything.

But recommendations aren't the only way to reconnect.

Here are 3 other moves I use that actually get responses:

1. The "This made me think of you" share

See an article, post, or piece of work that relates to something they're working on?

Send it over with a 2-line note:

"Saw this and immediately thought of the work you were doing on [specific project]. Curious what you think about their approach."

That's it. You're not asking for a favor. You're showing you remember what they care about.

2. The specific question

Most "let's catch up" messages die because they're too vague.

Instead, ask something concrete:

"Hey, I remember you were diving into [topic] at [Company]. I'm working on something similar now — any chance you have 10 minutes to share what worked for you?"

People love talking about their expertise. Make it easy for them to say yes.

3. The voice note

This one feels weird at first, but it works.

Instead of typing a long message, send a 30-second voice note on LinkedIn or WhatsApp.

"Hey! Was just thinking about our time at [Company] and wanted to check in. How's everything going? Would love to hear what you're working on these days."

Voice feels more personal. Less formal. More like an actual friend reaching out.

CNY is the perfect excuse to try one of these this week.

Pick someone you've been meaning to reconnect with.

Choose the move that feels most natural.

Send it today.

Reconnecting doesn't have to be complicated.

It just has to be real.

新年快乐 🧧

— Joseph

P.S. These reconnection strategies are part of what we call Strategic Outreach inside Career Creators — the system we use to help designers build relationships that lead to referrals and opportunities. If you want to see how it all fits together, reply "Details" and I'll walk you through it.