I used to think networking was just for extroverts, salespeople, or people trying to land their next job. Then I learned that real networking—the kind that builds trust, opens doors, and helps people stay and grow in their careers—is just consistent, human connection.

That realization shaped everything I do now.

Today, I split my time between two worlds:

At Retention and Rewards Partners, I work with HR leaders to solve complex problems around compensation, benefits, and employee retention. I’ve led total rewards teams through M&A deals, culture transformations, open enrollments, and board-level pay strategy. But underneath all the spreadsheets and systems is one simple goal: build workplaces where people want to stay.

And as the founder of The Introverted Networker, I teach professionals how to build strong relationships—without small talk, events, or pretending to be someone they’re not. I write a weekly newsletter, lead corporate workshops, and coach people on how to connect with others in a way that feels real and doable.

My work might look different depending on the day, but it’s all connected by one belief: when people feel seen, supported, and fairly treated, they stay. And when they build trusted relationships at work, they thrive.

If you care about building workplaces where people stay and succeed—or you’re trying to grow your network in a way that actually feels good—I’d love to connect.


Here are other ways I can help you:

⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, "The Introverted Networker," to get tips to improve your networking.

⇨ Get my FREE course, "5 Steps To Grow Your Professional Network," to get the exact networking blueprint I follow every week to grow my own network.

⇨ Follow me to learn how to find new connections without going to networking events

⇨ Download my guide "15 Minute Networking"

⇨ Get my book "The Fast and Easy Guide To Networking For Introverts"

All the links for these resources are in my Featured section above!

The best way to contact me is via email: greg@gregsroche.com

Greg Roche

Your network won’t grow meeting 50 strangers at an event.

And, most people who talk about networking won't tell you this, but...

Stop casting a wide net.
Focus on one person at a time.

That's how your network grows.

Start with people you know.

Re-connect with them.
Talk to them about what they're working on.
Share your goals with them.

Who do they know?
Who should you meet?
Ask them to introduce you.

Expand your relationships from there.

It sounds time-consuming.
But, it's more efficient than you think.

This week, find one person to reconnect with.
Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

I teach professionals to connect and build trust. Founder Retention and Rewards Partners. Solving retention and total rewards challenges for HR leaders who need results, not more noise. Aka: The Introverted Networker.

Most people think networking takes hours.
I can do it in 15 minutes.

Can you grow your network in 15 minutes a day?
You can with the right mindset:

The Consistency Mindset.

When you spend 15 minutes each day, 
Over the course of a year, 
It's over 90 hours of networking.

When you do it consistently, you start seeing results.

What can you do in 15 minutes?
• Write a LinkedIn recommendation for a former co-worker
• Send a message to a someone you've lost touch with
• Have a short phone conversation with a connection
• Search for dormant ties thru LinkedIn
• Comment on LinkedIn posts

Any of these will grow your network.

But they only work if you show up, 

And do the work,
Consistently,
Everyday.

Have you spent 15 minutes networking today?

If not, what's stopping you?



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker! 

If you want to see my daily networking tips,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Most people quit networking because they can’t see where it’s leading.
 
That’s the mistake.
 
I rarely know exactly what a new connection will turn into.

A job.
A client.
A referral.
Or nothing at all.
 
Like driving a car at night, all I can see is the next conversation.

But, that’s enough.

I'll get where I am going, if I keep going.
 
When you’re building a network, you don’t get a full map.

You get today.
That's as far as you can see.
 
One message.
One coffee.
One thoughtful follow up.
 
Over time, those small moments start to stack.

They create momentum you couldn’t have predicted at the start.
 
You don’t need certainty to move forward.
 
You just need to keep showing up for the next conversation in front of you.



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

One random conversation while Christmas shopping changed how I think about networking.

Most people think networking works like a funnel.
 
You reach out to a lot of people and hope a few good things come out the other end.
 
That approach always felt exhausting to me.
The way it’s actually worked in my life is much simpler.
 
It’s more like a chain.
One conversation leads to another.
 
Years ago I lost my job in October.
For weeks I did what everyone else does.

I applied online and waited.
Nothing happened.
 
Then one day in December I ran into a former coworker while Christmas shopping.

We talked for a few minutes.
I mentioned I was looking for a job.
 
She said, “You should talk to Dennis. He’s in the same situation.”
 
I met Dennis.  Dennis introduced me to Jorge.
Jorge and I were looking for the same type of roles.
 
In my search, I also connected with a guy named Jim.
Jim knew I was looking for a job.

He mentioned a role he’d heard about.
I wasn’t the right fit, but Jorge was.
 
I connected Jorge to Jim and Jim connected Jorge with the person hiring for the role.
 
Jorge got the job.
 
Here’s the lesson:
Networking rarely moves in straight lines.

Conversations connect to other conversations. 
People introduce you to other people.
 
You just keep adding one link at a time to your network.
The opportunities start to appear.

That’s why I don’t try to meet as many people as possible.
 
I focus on one good conversation.
Then the next one tends to appear.
The opportunities follow.

What networking links have you made that got you closer to the opportunity you were looking for?

Tell me your story!


I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!
If you want to become a better networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

This one thing will make every conference you attend this year worth the money you paid for it.

Most people walk into a conference and hope for the best.
 
They grab their badge.
They scan the room.
They look for a friendly face.
 
And then they feel stuck.
 
Conferences can feel like a full day of small talk with strangers.
 
Here’s what makes it easier:
Do most of your networking before you get there.
 
When I sign up for a conference, I don’t wait until I’m in the room.
 
I look at the agenda.
I connect with organizers.
I reach out to a few speakers I plan to hear.
I comment on their posts.
I trade a few messages.
 
Nothing fancy.
Just simple, real conversation.
 
When I walk in, I’m not alone.
I already have two or three people I can say hello to.
 
That changes everything.
 
You stop wandering.
You stop forcing random chats.
You build on conversations that already started.
 
One simple idea to try:

Before your next conference, 
 
1. Pick one speaker from the agenda.
2. Send a short note.
3. Tell them you’re looking forward to their session.
4. Ask one thoughtful question about their topic.
 
That’s it.
 
If you want to make conferences feel less draining and more useful, I wrote a full breakdown in this week’s 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳: https://lnkd.in/gJb_b_CA
 
It goes deeper into how to prepare, how to connect in person, and one small badge trick that makes you easier to approach.

Most people use LinkedIn wrong.
Here's what they're missing:

They lurk.
They scroll.
They log in only when they need a job.
 
Then they say networking on LinkedIn doesn't work.
 
Here's the mindset shift you need to make it work for you:
 
LinkedIn is not a billboard.
It is a conversation tool.
 
Your goal is simple.

Start small online conversations with people who sit near the opportunities you care about.
 
That's it.
 
One practical place to start is this.
 
Make a short Target Company List.
Five to ten companies you are curious about.
 
Then search for people who work there.
Start with 1st and 2nd degree connections.
 
If you already know someone, send a short note.
“It’s been a while. How are things going?”
 
If you don't know them, keep it light.

“I see you’re at X company. I’m learning more about it. Would love your perspective if you have time.”
 
No pitch.
No pressure.
 
If connecting feels like too much, Follow them.

If they post, Comment with something thoughtful.

Not “Great post.”

Add a question.
Add an insight.
Move the conversation forward.
 
That is how you become familiar before you ever ask for anything.
 
One question for you.
 
If someone looked at your LinkedIn account today, would it show quiet scrolling or real conversations?
 
I wrote more about how to use connecting, following, commenting, and even your own LinkedIn data in this week’s Introverted Networker: https://lnkd.in/gXb7GJRq
 
If LinkedIn has felt pointless, the full issue walks through a calmer way to use it.

My favorite LinkedIn ‘metric’ never shows up in the analytics.

It's the people who never "like" or comment on any of my posts, but tell me:

"You're post was what I needed to hear today."

I still get goose bumps when this happens.

It's usually someone I know.

• Recent connection
• Former colleague
• Friend

But, they never show up at the bottom of my post in the reaction or comment section.

However, they go out of their way to reach out to me in real life to tell me what I wrote made a difference in their lives.

I keep this in mind each time I hit "Post":

Behind every:

• Comment,
• Reaction,
• Email

There's a person who is struggling to figure it all out.

If what I write has an impact on one person,
It was a successful post.

For those who show up and share what they know on LinkedIn, even if your post flops in the usual metrics of engagement, you're making a difference.

For those who are moved by someone's post, let them know, even if it's in a private message.

It's the fuel that keeps most of us LinkedIn regulars going!



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Over the weekend, most of the U.S. changed their clocks. Arizona didn’t. Yet my schedule still shifted.

It made me remember something:
Time is a made-up system.

We created it so people could coordinate with each other.
Daylight savings makes that obvious.

Most people will be complaining today about losing an hour of sleep.

That doesn't happen when you live in Arizona.
But, that doesn't mean I'm not affected.

Most of the people I talk to each day are in different states.
In one day, all my meetings moved an hour earlier.

Nothing actually changed about the sun.

The only thing that changed was our agreement about time.

I'll adjust my schedule so that I can show up as the same time as everyone else.
 
Networking works the same way.
We have to agree on a time to show up and connect.
 
People wait for the “right time” to reach out.

The right time to reconnect.
The right time to ask for help.
But time isn’t some magical force.
 
It’s just coordination between two people.
 
Most opportunities don’t happen because the timing was perfect.
 
They happen because two people stayed connected.
 
One conversation, no matter what the time.



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Your best employee is already halfway out the door.
You just can’t see it.

Picture your best employee standing outside, alone.

At her feet is a white line.
Her toes are touching The Line. 

The side of The Line she's standing on is her current reality.
The other side is relief from the stress on her side of The Line.

• It could be the pile of unread emails in her inbox.
• It could be her boss.
• It could be her job.

Something's wrong and it's gotten so bad, she's standing with her toes on The Line.

She's vulnerable.

The next problem, request, or needless meeting is going to push her over The Line.

She doesn't know if life on the other side of The Line will be better or worse.

It doesn't matter.

All that matters is the other side of The Line is different from her current reality.

She didn't get to The Line because someone dangled more money in front of her.

She hasn't even talked to a recruiter or applied to a job.

Some days, when she gets to The Line, she can find a reason to step away.

But on the days when she's at The Line, something new might catch her eye.

She might return that recruiter's message.

She might respond to that email just to "learn more about the role."

At that moment, she's ready to step across The Line.

After that first step, she might take another, 
Then another, and at the end, 
She's telling her co-workers 
She's leaving for something 
New.

Her leaders will say she got offered more money.
They'll say, "we aren't competitive with our benefits."
Her former co-workers will get retention agreements.

They weren't planning to leave, but they'll take the extra money for doing the extra work created by her leaving.

Eventually, they'll get pushed to The Line, too.

They'll be asked to respond to the fire drill.

They'll be told to do one more project because it's a business need.

No work will be taken off the to-do list.

The one-off requests will keep rolling into their inboxes.

Maybe one of these co-workers is the next to The Line

He knows how she got to The Line.

He had never been there himself, but once she left, he took on her work.

He's stepped up to The Line more lately.

He's stepped back, gone to the team offsite, laughed with his co-workers and gone home feeling better about things.

The next morning, when he opens his inbox, there are more things than he can do by the end of the day.

And he feels alone.
With no one to talk to about how he feels
And no one to help him step back from The Line.

Everyone is approaching The Line.

They've all had enough.
They're all vulnerable.

If they get the call or email, they'll step over The Line and start the journey to a new job.

It happens every day. 
It happens to everyone.

Do you notice when you're at The Line?
Do you notice when your employees are at The Line?

Can you step back?
Can you help them step back?

If they can't step back, they're done.
So are you.

If you trained at the gym like you network, would you ever get results?

If not, here’s how to train your networking muscle:

1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
You don't get your PR the first day at the gym. 
You start light and add weight.

𝗜𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴:
✅Start connecting with one person.
✅Comment on one person's LinkedIn post.
✅Send one message to a former co-worker.


2️⃣ 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘀
Getting to the gym is a good start. 
Then you have to put in the reps when you're there. 
No wasting time or messing around.

𝗜𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴:
✅Make your comments on LI valuable. No "Nice post" BS.
✅Find ways to give some valuable to your connections.
✅Make introductions. Connect people to each other.


3️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆
Consistency brings the gains!

𝗜𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴:
✅It's ok to skip a day, but don't make it a habit.
✅Track your efforts. Tracking holds you accountable
✅Get an accountability partner. Everyone needs a spotter.

Networking, like working out, isn’t about one big day.

It’s about steady effort over time.

Show up.
Put in the work.
Get the gains.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝘆𝗺/𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴?



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

By day, I help companies retain talent.
By night, I learn from people who've already finished their careers.

By day (and honestly, a lot of nights too), I've been focused on building my business Retention and Rewards Partners. 

I help companies with total rewards, employee engagement, and retention strategies.

At the same time, I keep showing up as The Introverted Networker.

Writing about networking, publishing my newsletter, and creating new resources to help people connect and grow their careers.

Two different themes. 

Both fueled by the same passion: 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Recently, I've started writing (privately) about being a non-retired person who lives in a retirement community.

Focusing on what it looks like to do the work you want to do while learning from people who have already passed the work phase of their lives.

Not sure if it's right for LinkedIn, so I'm asking that question today:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻?



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker! 

I talk a lot about networking, building more connected workplaces, and maybe living with retired people.

If you want to see more of me

Do one of these:

✅ Save this post so you can come back and find me later
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

What do you want me to write about on LinkedIn?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

After 27 years in corporate, I quit my job. My first client showed up 24 hours later.

Not because I got lucky.
 
Because a couple months, I had a conversation with someone I'll call Katie.
 
We both worked in HR in Denver.
Different companies, different roles.

We stayed in touch.
No agenda.
Just a professional relationship I kept up over time.
 
When I was thinking about leaving corporate after 27 years, Katie was one of the first people I called.
 
I told her exactly what I wanted to do.
The specific problems I solve.
In the words a client would use.
 
Then we went on with our lives.
 
The day after I resigned, she texted me.
 
"Do you know anyone who could do fractional total rewards consulting for a client in Denver?"
 
I texted back: "Yeah. Me. I just resigned yesterday."
 
That was client number one.
Then she hired me for a project at her own company.
 
Two clients.
One relationship.
One conversation I'd invested in before any of this was real.
 
Here's the lesson:
 
When you're networking for a job, you connect with people at your target companies.
 
When you're networking for your own business, you connect with people who already serve your target client.

Either way, you have to get specific about what you're looking for.
And, tell people what it is.
 
They become your advocates, your referral sources.
You're not selling yourself.
They're doing it for you.

But you have to start the conversations to get to the part where you tell them what you're looking for.
 
I tell the whole story in this week's issue of The Introverted Networker: https://lnkd.in/gsR7fdVb



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

I talk a lot about networking. 
And building better workplaces.

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Ever feel like you need just one hour to get started with your networking?

I've got a solution for you!

Join me and Shayna Cavanaugh next week for You Can Sit With Us!

It's an our dedicated to anything you are working on when it comes to job search. Including networking!

You put the event on your calendar
Block the time
Show up and get more done in that hour than you have all week.

It's a great way to get help and get yourself started.

Join us!

Details below!

Interview Prep, Salary Negotiation | Helping burnt-out professionals to not feel like crap at work | Real HR Experience/Real Results ✨

Not sure where to start when it comes to networking?
 
Spoiler alert: it’s easier than you think
 
Join us for our next co-working hour on Thursday, 3/5 where Greg Roche, The Introverted Networker, will share some simple tips and strategies for intentional networking.
 
You’ll leave with real strategies to help you:
➜ Network in a way that feels natural (even if you’re introverted)
➜ Build genuine connections without small talk or events
➜ Create trust through simple, human conversations
 
RSVP through the event below and be sure to share with your introverted job search bestie!
 
P.S. – Raise your hand if you’ve ever overthought a LinkedIn message before sending 🙋🏻‍♀️

Ehsan Ali 🚀

Top-Ranked Australian Career Coach | Helped 100+ Senior IT Pros Land $200K–$400K+ Roles | 2–4 Level Jumps. 30%–120% Raises. | Take the 3-Min Quiz & Uncover Your Hidden Growth Blockers

For Indian-origin professionals like us, 
career was never just a paycheck.

It’s identity.

Study hard.
Get a good job.
Hustle. Climb fast.
Move abroad. Make everyone proud.

I did all that too.

From the outside, it looked sorted.
Good roles. Good money. Comfortable life.

But inside, I felt it.

I was playing safe.
Staying reliable.
Delivering more. 
But not becoming more.

Then life got heavier.

Mortgage. Kids’ school fees. Lifestyle. Ageing parents.

And work got shakier.

Reorgs. Layoffs. Politics.
Big decisions made fast, without warning.

During Covid, I hit a turning point.

I quit.
And then... two years of no income.

That season humbled me.

It forced me to face a truth most senior pros avoid:

Doing good work keeps you employed.
It does not protect your future.

I wasn’t looking for motivation. 
I needed a method.

So I studied what actually drives senior growth:

• How trust is built at the top.
• How leaders make decisions behind closed doors.
• How hiring really works at senior level.
• Why capable people get overlooked.

Then I applied it—to myself.

Even after two years without a job, I started getting invited into $400K+ interviews.
Doors that once felt locked began to open.

Now I had to choose:

Go back quietly, rebuild the title...
or help others rebuild their power.

I chose the second.

Over the last 4+ years, I’ve turned those hard lessons into playbooks and private sessions that help mid-to-senior IT professionals reclaim direction, self-worth, and income.

Recent wins from the community:

🚀 Tim (Senior Director): 18 months without a role to two $300K+ offers in 10 weeks
🚀 Urvish (S/W Engineer): laid off to Principal Engineer in 10 weeks, then Director in 12 months
🚀 Hesham (Principal Engineer): $200K to $650K+ in 3 months
🚀 Maruf (VP, Analytics & AI): Invisible to Global Top 100 within a year

If you’re feeling that mix of frustration, fear, and quiet exhaustion, don’t wait for things to “settle”. 

They won’t.

Start now:

✅ Take the 2-minute Career Diagnostic Quiz (link in Featured)
✅ Or DM ROUNDTABLE for an invite to my Virtual Career Roundtable
Private. Invite-only.

Podcast Host & Producer

Australia's 1st Business & Career podcast featuring inspiring stories of Indian Expats who either successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship or excelled in their careers beyond the perceived limitations and ceiling

Ehsan Ali

Nobody quits when they’re respected, paid, and growing.

They quit when one of those gets taken away.

So when someone “suddenly resigns”…

It wasn’t sudden.

It was the final straw
after months of quiet shrinking.

They left when:

• the workload grew, but the role didn’t
• their results got praised, not rewarded
• they were trusted to deliver, not trusted to decide
• they became the fixer, not the future

Most mid-senior IT professionals don’t quit for fun.

They quit because staying started costing them:

sleep
confidence
self-respect
time with family

And here’s the trap:

A decent salary can hide a bad deal.

You tell yourself:

“It’s fine.”
“I’m lucky.”
“Once this project ends…”

But “fine” becomes 3 years.
Then 5.

Respect. Pay. Growth.

If you don’t have at least two,
you’re not building a career. You’re tolerating a job.

Quick self-check:

When was the last time this job made you feel bigger?

Not busier.
Bigger.

♻️ Repost this for someone who’s been “fine” for too long
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for $250K–$400K+ Senior IT career playbooks

Senior IT Career Coach & Strategist | End Career Stagnation. Land Your $250K–$400K+ Next Level Role | 22 Years of lived experience in IT. Not HR. Not a Recruiter.

Everyone is replaceable at work.
Even the ones who stay late.
Especially them.

I know that's uncomfortable.
Especially for those of us raised to believe the opposite.

Work hard. Stay humble. Don't complain.
Be grateful you have the opportunity.

Our parents didn't build their lives in a new country by saying no.
They survived by being indispensable.

And we watched that.

We learned it.

We wore it like armour into every job we ever had.

So now you're 42.
Senior Manager. Principal Engineer. Solution Architect. 18 years in.
Answering Slack at 11pm.

Fixing other people's emergencies because you were raised not to drop things.

Skipping the gym, the doctor, your kid's thing.

Because that's what commitment looks like.
That's what you were taught.

And here's what you got for it.

The same salary band for three years.
A "you're really valued" at EOFY.
A quiet feeling that if you stopped carrying it, everything would fall apart.

Here's what nobody told us:

The loyalty that kept our parents safe in survival mode
is the exact thing keeping us stuck in growth mode.

The people above you aren't working harder.
They stopped absorbing everything.
They started deciding what mattered.

Availability is not seniority.
Reliability is not leadership.

The market doesn't pay $300K for the person who never drops the ball.
It pays $300K for the person who decides which balls matter.

You don't have a work ethic problem.
You were just never shown that the rules changed.

♻️ Repost for someone still carrying the armour they no longer need.
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for $250K–$400K+ senior IT career playbooks.

They rewarded you with more work.

Not more money.
Not more title.
More work.

That’s not appreciation.

That’s PERFORMANCE PUNISHMENT.

Last week in my Hidden Gold roundtable, a Senior Engineering Manager in Sydney said something that stopped the room:

“I’ve been the most reliable person in 3 different teams.
I’ve never once been the most promoted.”

No one argued.
Too many people in that room had lived it.

The people who moved ahead were not carrying more.
They just stopped carrying what was never theirs.

High performers become the company’s safety net.

Something breaks? You.
Cross-team fire? You.
Last-minute exec deck at 9pm? You.

And slowly your role becomes this invisible pile of
steering committees,
executive reporting,
cross-functional fire drills.

Important work.
Useful work.
But not promotable work.

Because promotions rarely go to the person holding the system together.

They go to the person leading the work leadership cannot afford to get wrong.

Revenue risk.
Delivery velocity.
Platform modernisation.
Capability gaps.

The work that lands in board packs. The work that gets discussed when senior leaders close the door.

The work that makes someone say,
we need this person in the room.

And the difference is not just doing that work.

It is how you talk about it.

Not:

“Here’s what I did.”

But:

“Here’s the business problem I saw.
Here’s the initiative I led.
Here’s the outcome it created.”

Same work.
Different signal.

The first sounds like someone dependable. The second sounds like someone who should be shaping decisions.

One gets more work. The other gets the title.

If you've been the safety net for too long, you already know which one you've been.

The next step is learning how to reposition the work you're already doing, so the right people finally see it the right way.

That's exactly what we work through live at the Hidden Gold roundtable.

Real profiles. Real senior IT leaders. Real repositioning, on screen, together.

This Thursday is the last session for March.
Small room. Senior IT only.

DM me GOLD and I'll send you the details.

If you'd rather check quietly first: https://lnkd.in/g8HtDBRn
If seats are still open, you can grab one there.

Room closes Thursday morning.

♻️ Repost this for the high performer quietly carrying half the company.

🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for $250K–$400K+ senior IT career playbooks that actually work.

In IT, two people can have the same experience.
One still ends up $200K ahead.

Here's why.

A bar of iron is worth $100.
Turn it into horseshoes? $250.
Sewing needles? $70,000.
Watch springs? $6 million.
Laser components? $15 million.

Same iron.
Different refinement.
That's how careers work too.

Same years in the industry.
Same certifications.
Sometimes even the same job title.

One stays stuck at $180K.
The other moves into $280K, $320K, $400K+ roles.

I've seen this gap up close.

One of my clients, a Data Analytics Senior Manager, 18 years of experience, Sydney, went from $220K to $285K in 10 weeks.

Same resume. Same skills. Completely different positioning.

Most senior IT professionals are not underqualified.
They're undershaped.

One person learns how to shape their hidden gold, how to present their experience in a way the market actually pays a premium for.

The other stays as raw material.

We grew up being told:
Keep your head down.
Do good work.
The rest will follow.

Our parents said it. Their parents said it.
It worked for a world where loyalty was rewarded, and tenure meant promotion.

That world is gone.

In today's Australian IT market, the market doesn't reward the hardest worker in the room.

It rewards the one who is best positioned.

Your experience alone does not multiply your value.

Refinement does.
And most people are never shown how.

That’s why some professionals stay invisible for 10 years…
while others become the obvious hire in 10 weeks.

You may already be sitting on career gold.

But right now, it still looks like scrap metal to the market.

That’s the gap I help close.

I'm unpacking this live at my 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, a small private virtual session for mid-senior IT professionals who know they have more to offer than their current title, salary, or visibility suggests.

If you're an IC, Manager, or Director in IT and your LinkedIn or resume is underselling you, comment 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 and I'll send you the details.

♻️ Repost for someone whose value is being missed.
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for senior IT career growth playbooks.

Some companies build careers.
Some quietly break confidence.

A Data Analytics Senior Manager reached out to me earlier this year.

18 years in the industry.
Strong track record.
A stint at Macquarie.

If you know the industry in Australia, you know the nickname:

The Millionaire Factory.

High rewards. High pressure.
And in some pockets, a culture that slowly grinds people down.

He landed in one of those pockets.

By the time he left, he was exhausted.

But that wasn’t his biggest problem.

His biggest worry was the conversation he’d have in every interview.

“How do I explain why I left?”

He’d resigned. The environment had become suffocating.

So I told him:

Don’t lead with why you left.
Lead with what you built.

He went quiet.

Then said:

“I’m not sure I even know what that is right now.
I don’t feel good enough.”

18 years. $220K. And that’s where he was.

This happens to capable people everywhere.

Big 4 banks.
Telcos.
Consulting firms.

The name on the door doesn’t matter.

A toxic pocket.
A restructure.
A layoff.
A PIP.
A promotion that never came.

And slowly the story changes.

From: “I’ve built serious capability.”
To: “Maybe I’m not that impressive.”

But when we unpacked his career, the truth was obvious.

There was serious hidden gold.

Problems he solved that others couldn’t.
Decisions that influenced millions in revenue.
Work that shaped how entire teams operated.

None of it was visible in the way he was telling his story.

So we fixed three things:

→ Extracted the hidden gold from his experience
→ Built a clear value narrative with proof stories
→ Repositioned his LinkedIn and introduction

10 weeks later.

$285K. Top-tier consulting firm.
A $65K jump.

And then came the part he didn’t expect.

They hired him specifically for the work he’d done in that toxic pocket.

The place that broke his confidence 
was the exact reason they wanted him.

He just needed someone to help him see it first.

This week I’m showing exactly how this works. 
Live. Virtual. Small private group setting. Limited Seats.

Real LinkedIn profiles.
Real people.
Real hidden gold uncovered on screen.

Saturday 14th March, 4pm AEST
Thursday 19th March, 5:30pm AEST

If you’re a senior IC, manager, or leader in engineering, product, delivery, or sales:

You know you’ve done serious work.

But you still struggle to explain it in a way the market responds to.

DM me GOLD and I’ll send you the link.

Or grab a seat directly here, if still available:
https://lnkd.in/g8HhDbRn

"We found someone slightly better."

That sentence has ended more careers than bad interviews.

They didn’t choose someone with better skills.
Or a better résumé.
Or better answers.

They chose the person who made them feel certain.

Hiring managers don’t choose from checklists.

They choose from conviction.

Emotion first.
Logic later.

If you leave even a sliver of doubt, you lose.

It doesn’t matter how talented you are.
How many certifications you hold.
How much experience you bring.

What matters is how certain they feel after meeting you.

Here’s what certainty looks like in an interview:

✅ A story they can believe
✅ Outcomes, not activity
✅ Calm authority in the room

Interviews are not talent contests.

They are certainty tests.

The offer doesn’t go to the best candidate.

It goes to the one who removes every doubt.

If they have to think about it…

it’s already a no.

Only certainty wins.

If you’re tired of hearing
“we found someone slightly better” —

Stop competing on paper.

Start commanding the room.

📌 I’m running a free live session this month:
Hidden Gold — Live LinkedIn Profile Breakdown (Senior IT)

If your 15+ years of experience is buried under generic language,
I’ll show you exactly how to fix it live.

DM GOLD and I’ll send the invite.

♻️ Repost if this felt a little too real
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for career strategy that turns experience into leverage

The hardest part of a career setback isn’t losing the job.
It’s losing the version of yourself you believed in.

I’ve seen this happen to senior IT professionals with 18, 20, even 25 years of experience.

Senior Managers.
Principal Engineers.
Solution Architects.
Directors.

People who’ve built teams from scratch.
Delivered programs worth tens of millions.
Kept entire organisations running.

Then something happens.

A toxic pocket inside the company.
A layoff.
A restructure.
Three years of being passed over.
A PIP that quietly signals the end.

And suddenly the question appears:

“𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭.”

That’s when the panic kicks in.

Another certification.
An MBA.
An AI course.
Posting “Open to Work.”
Applying everywhere.

𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭.

Because the real problem isn’t more activity.

It’s that most senior professionals never learned how to find the gold in their own experience and explain it in a way the market understands.

So when someone asks, “𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟,” they give a career timeline.

And 20 years of real value stays buried.

I’ve seen capable people without job for 12, even 18 months.

Not because they lacked value, but because they were trying to solve a positioning problem with more activity.

That’s exactly what I’m showing live this week.

Real LinkedIn profiles.
Real people.
Real hidden gold found on screen, in front of you.

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟓:𝟑𝟎𝐩𝐦 𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓
𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟒𝐩𝐦 𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓

If you’re a senior IC, manager, or leader in IT who knows you’ve done a lot but can’t explain it in a way the market responds to, DM me 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃.

I’ll send you the link to join live, if seats are still available.

𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐓.

Not your manager.
Not your performance reviews.
Not the certifications you collected along the way.

How to find the 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝 in your own experience.

Last week, I was working with a Senior Program Manager at a Big Tech company.

𝟏𝟕 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲.

Led large programs.
Managed complex stakeholders.
Delivered work that affected thousands of users.

Halfway through our conversation, he paused and asked:

“𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥?”

On paper, he clearly was.

And I hear versions of that question all the time.

From Principal Engineers who’ve architected systems used by millions.
From Solution Architects who’ve led transformations worth tens of millions.
From Program Managers who’ve kept entire organisations running.

They all say some version of the same thing:

“𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.”

Here’s the truth.

It’s rarely a capability problem.
It’s a 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦.

Most senior professionals know how to do the work.

But they were never taught how to step back, extract the gold from their experience, and explain it in a way the market values.

So when someone asks, “𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟,” they talk about roles, projects, and responsibilities.

Not the real value they bring.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞.

It costs people better roles, better pay, and opportunities they were never even considered for.

That’s how incredibly capable people end up sounding ordinary.

That’s exactly what I’m showing live this week.

Real LinkedIn profiles.
Real people.
Real hidden gold found on screen, in front of you.

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟓:𝟑𝟎𝐩𝐦 𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓
𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟒𝐩𝐦 𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓

If you’re a senior IC, manager, or leader in IT who knows you’ve done a lot but can’t explain it in a way the market responds to, 

DM me 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃.

If you’d rather check the details quietly, here’s the link.
https://lnkd.in/g8HhDbRn

If seats are still open, you can grab one there.

21 years in enterprise IT.
His LinkedIn headline said:

Senior Program Manager | ANZ Bank

That’s not positioning.

That’s a business card.

At Saturday’s Hidden Gold roundtable, he sat down and said:

“Roast my profile. I want to know exactly what’s costing me.”

He was targeting Director-level roles.
Doing the work.
Building the capability.

But something was not converting.

So I pulled his profile up live in front of the room.

Here was the problem.

21 years.
Programs worth tens of millions.
Stakeholders at EGM level.

And the first thing the market saw?

A job title.
And an employer.

That’s how most senior IT profiles in Australia still read.

The problem was never his experience.

His profile was missing three signals:

Reputation.
Influence.
Impact.

All three were there.

Buried.
Invisible.
Whispering.

Two minutes later, his headline looked like this:

Senior Program Manager | $80M Core Banking, Product & Cloud Programs | CIO & EGM Engagement | Ex-ANZ, Accenture

Same person.
Same career.
Completely different weight in the market.

Then he asked the real question:

“How do I use this to get mentioned in rooms I’m not in?”

That’s the real game at Director level.

Not just who you know.

But who thinks of you
when the role opens
before it ever gets posted.

That’s what we’re covering this Thursday.

Small room.
Senior IT only.
Real profiles.
Live teardowns.
On screen.

If your profile still reads like a title dump
while you’re already doing Director-level work,

DM me GOLD and I’ll send you the link.

♻️ Repost this for the senior IT pro whose profile undersells them every single day.

🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for $250K–$400K+ senior IT career playbooks.

A recruiter DM’d you on LinkedIn last month.

You replied.

They went quiet.

So you told yourself:

Maybe the role was filled.
Maybe the timing was off.
Maybe they found someone more senior.

Maybe.

But here’s what more likely happened.

They liked your message.

Then they clicked your profile to validate it.

And what they found
didn’t match the person they had in mind.

So they moved on.

That was last month.

Before Atlassian cut 1,600 jobs globally.

Around 480 of them were in Australia.

Senior engineers.
Architects.
Program managers.
Delivery leads.

They’re updating their LinkedIn profiles right now.

They’re hitting the market right now.

And many of them have one of the strongest tech brands in Australia on their headline.

So that recruiter who went quiet on you last month?

Their inbox just got a lot more crowded.

And most senior IT profiles still look exactly the same:

Job title.
Company name.
Maybe a certification.

But no signal of the scale you operate at.
No signal of the decisions you influence.
No signal of the transformation work you’ve led.

You don’t have a skill problem.

You have a profile that sells you short.

You may be excellent.

But if your profile can’t prove that fast, you disappear.

That’s how good people get overlooked.

Tomorrow, Thursday, is the final Hidden Gold session for March.

Small room.
Senior IT only.

We take real LinkedIn profiles, put them on screen,

and show you, in real time, what the market is actually reading.

Then we fix them.

If you're a senior IC, architect, manager, or leader,
and the market isn't seeing what you're actually worth:

DM me GOLD and I’ll send you the details.

Or grab a seat here if one’s still open:
https://lnkd.in/g8HhDbRn

Last session for March.
Room closes Thursday morning.

This afternoon’s session was meant to finish 30 minutes earlier.

It didn’t.

Nobody wanted to leave.

Not because I was running a presentation.

Because the room got real.

A small engaged group.

Cameras on.
Profiles open.
No hiding behind “I’ll fix it later.”

One person said he doesn’t feel good enough when speaking with senior leaders.

Another said he’s been moving across roles for years but still can’t clearly see what value he should package.

Another had been told for years to focus on keywords, certifications, and job titles.

But the real shift happened when we started pulling apart their profiles live.

Not to make them look prettier.

To find the hidden gold.

The proof.
The pattern.
The value sitting inside years of work that even they had stopped seeing clearly.

One moment stuck with me.

After we unpacked his profile, one participant said he already felt more confident.

That matters.

Because most senior IT professionals don’t need more noise.

They need a better lens.

They need someone to show them:

→ what their experience is actually worth
→ how to position it for the right market
→ how to stop sounding like a job title and start sounding like a solution

That’s why the session ran over.

Not because I had more slides.

Because once people start seeing their value differently, the conversation changes.

One session left. That's it for March.

Thursday 19th March, 5:30pm AEST

If you’re a senior IC, manager, or leader in IT and you know you’ve done serious work but still struggle to explain it in a way the market responds to:

DM me GOLD. I’ll send you the link.

Or if you'd rather check the details quietly:

Open article: Hidden Gold: Live LinkedIn Profile Breakdown - Coach Ehsan by calendly.com

Hidden Gold: Live LinkedIn Profile Breakdown - Coach Ehsan

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The Battle

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Greg Roche's LinkedIn Performance

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