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How to Keep in Touch With Your Boss or Former Boss
To keep in touch with a former boss, send a short note that thanks them for one real thing they did. Share one true update about where you are now, and ask for nothing. Detail is the key. A fact only the two of you would know shows the bond mattered. It also makes replying easy. Email is the safe default.
A former boss is one of the most useful people in your network. They can vouch for your work and hear about jobs before they're posted. They can also introduce you to people you couldn't reach alone. But that only works if the bond stays warm after you leave. It cools fast when nobody writes first.
What makes the message land is proof you were paying attention. Name a lesson they taught you, a project you shared or something they said that stuck. Keep it short enough to read on a phone. Give one update, and don't add a request the first time. You're opening a door, not asking them to walk through it.
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Free, no signup. The example is filled in: press the button, then replace it with your own situation. In Capstone, a message like it is written for each person you know when their check-in is due.
11 examples to copy
One message is easy. Hundreds of people, all year, is the hard part. Capstone Outreach puts everyone you know on a rhythm you pick, from weekly to every three months. When someone is due, a message like these is already written in your voice from your history with them. You approve it, and it goes from your own email or phone. See how it works.
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Everyone on a rhythm. Who is due, and when. Recorded in the app on a demo account.
1. Email: Last day, thanking a boss who developed you
Subject: Thank you, and let's stay in touch
Why it works: It thanks them for one real thing. It also hands over your personal contact details before your work email goes away.
2. Email: First month in the new job, sharing an update
Subject: A month in, and your advice is already paying off
Why it works: Showing their lessons at work in your new job is the best update a former boss can get.
3. Text: Quick note a few months after leaving
Why it works: It's light, personal and takes ten seconds to read. It keeps the tie alive with no pressure to reply.
4. Email: After two years of silence, no ask
Subject: It's been too long
Why it works: Most people never write because a long gap feels awkward. Owning the gap and saying there's no agenda clears that away.
5. Email: Congratulating them on a promotion or new role
Subject: Congratulations on the new role
Why it works: Congrats backed by a real example show you noticed their work, not just their headline.
6. Email: Sharing an article or resource they'd care about
Subject: Saw this and thought of you
Why it works: Giving them something useful is the easiest reason to write. Tying it to a past talk makes it personal.
7. Email: Inviting them to coffee or lunch
Subject: Coffee next month?
Why it works: Offering to travel and naming set days makes saying yes almost effortless.
8. Text: Holiday or year-end message
Why it works: The holidays give you a built-in reason to reach out. Real thanks keeps it from feeling like a mass greeting.
9. Email: Formal note to a senior executive you reported to
Subject: Thank you for your leadership at [Company]
Why it works: It matches the formal tone senior leaders expect. It still names one moment they'll remember.
10. Email: Giving back with an introduction or referral
Subject: Someone you should meet
Why it works: Giving help first flips the usual roles. It makes you someone they want to hear from.
11. Text: Reacting to company news
Why it works: Quick, real reactions to their wins show you still pay attention. You ask for nothing in return.
Sending these to more than a few people? See how people keep track of who to follow up with, and when: what a personal CRM does and the best personal CRMs, compared.
When to send it
- Send the first note on your last day or in your first week away, while the goodbye is still fresh.
- Write again 30 to 90 days into the new role, once you have a real update to share.
- Use natural hooks: their promotion, a company milestone, a work anniversary or big news in their field.
- Reach out well before you need a reference or intro. Never put the ask in your first message after a long gap.
- Skip Monday mornings and the last week of a quarter or fiscal year, when bosses are buried. A midweek morning is more likely to get read.
Subject lines
- Thank you, and let's stay in touch
- Before I go
- A quick update from [New Company]
- Your advice is already paying off
- It's been too long
- Saw this and thought of you
- Congratulations on the new role
- Coffee next month?
- Something you taught me
- Still using your [specific habit]
- Six months in at [New Company]
- Thinking of our old team
- Someone you should meet
- Thank you for your leadership at [Company]
- Catching up after [timeframe]
- Grateful for [specific project]
What to avoid
- Don't make your first message after leaving a request for a reference, job lead or intro.
- Don't send a bland note that could go to any boss. Without one real detail, it reads like a form letter.
- Don't vent about your old company or say your new one is better, even if you think they'd agree.
- Don't use a keep-in-touch note to recruit their team members or go after their clients.
- Don't write your life story. If it doesn't fit on one phone screen, cut it.
- Don't rely on your work email. Give a personal address or number so they can reach you after your access ends.
After you send it
If you don't hear back, don't take it personally. Former bosses are busy, and a note that asks nothing doesn't need a reply. Wait three to four weeks. Then send a short follow-up with a fresh reason to write, like a useful article or a congrats. After that, plan to reach out two to four times a year. Send a holiday note, a reaction to their news or an update when something real changes for you. Keep each one short, specific and free of asks.
Building the habit: how to keep in touch with contacts and what a personal CRM does.
Will your old boss hear from you next season? Capstone saves your notes about the job and what you talked about last. Set a check-in every three months, and a short update is written when it comes due.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Frequently asked questions
How do I say "keep in touch" in a professional way?
Say "I'd like to stay in touch" or "I'd value staying in contact" in your note. Then add a reason and a way to reach you. For example, you could write "My personal email is below, and I hope you'll reach out if I can ever help" next. Offering help makes the phrase sound sincere. It won't read like polite filler at the end of a goodbye.
What is the best way to professionally convey, 'Hey, let's keep in touch'?
Show it rather than say it. Mention a shared experience, give a quick update and offer to help. Then follow through by writing again in a few months. A line like "I'd love to hear how [project] turns out" gives them a natural reason to reply. It also gives you a reason to follow up later.
How do I say keep in touch in a formal email?
Use "I would value staying in contact" near the end. You can also say "I would welcome the chance to update you from time to time" there. Put it just before your sign-off, followed by your personal email or phone number. Close with "Sincerely" or "Best regards" at the end. Formal wording suits senior leaders or bosses you were less close with.
How often should I contact a former boss?
Two to four times a year is enough for most former bosses. Tie each message to something real: a holiday, their promotion, a company milestone or a big change in your career. More often than that can feel like you're angling for something. The exception is when they reply warmly and the talk picks up on its own.
Is it okay to ask a former boss for a reference after not talking for a while?
Yes, but reconnect first if you can. Send a no-ask update and wait for a reply. Then make the request a week or two later. Give context: the role, why you fit and what they should highlight. If time is short, own the gap honestly. Make the ask easy to say yes to.
Should I text or email my former boss?
Email is the safe default, mainly for your first message after leaving or for a more formal bond. Text works if you already texted each other while working together. The note should also be short and personal, like a congrats or a holiday wish. When in doubt, use the channel you used most with them.