Jonathan Javier💡

Landing You Jobs @ Wonsulting + WonsultingAI | Forbes 30U30 | FREE Resources in profile | Turning Underdogs👉Winners | Cisco, Google, Snap | Ft: Forbes, NY Times, Insider, CNBC, WSJ | @jonathanwordsofwisdom

Hello! Want FREE resources + resume feedback? Visit http://www.wonsulting.com/jonathan-javier-links for more info 👀💡

My story: I remember struggling to find opportunities coming from a non-target school/non-traditional background. Applying to hundreds of roles wasn't working, and all I would receive were job rejections.

Does this sound like you in your career? 😮

My name is Jonathan (#JWoW). Coming from a first-gen FIlipino background, I've always strived to work in top companies coming from a non-target school to help others do the same. I've had the privilege of working at tech companies while helping thousands get there too, and that’s the purpose of why I do what I do🙏

My and Wonsulting's mission is "to turn underdogs into winners". I've spoken in 9 countries and 250+ universities/organizations, providing insights from my own findings to help people get into their dream careers. 

Some highlights:
🗣 Led 250+ workshops regarding LinkedIn, Personal Branding, & more 
⚡Spoke at corporate companies: Talks at Google, Linkedin HQ, Microsoft, Cisco, Lyft, Samsung, ALPFA, GPTW, TEDx & more.
🛠️ Created WonsultingAI job search tools: these include ResumAI, CoverLetterAI, NetworkAI, JobBoardAI, JobTrackerAI & InterviewAI by Wonsulting.
🔥 Selected to Forbes 30 Under 30 List - Education
👥 1.5 million users on WonsultingAI -> our flagship tool to land underdogs jobs faster
💡Kicked off #TikTokResumes with TikTok which had 144k+ attendees
🚀Featured on Forbes, Business Insider, WSJ, NY Times, Money, CNBC, Fortune, LinkedIn News, TikTok News, Fox News, Daily Mail, Yahoo News, The Times, and more for career tips!
📓 Grew to 3 million followers on social media platforms with content having 30M+ million views monthly #JWoW
✅Verified on TikTok and Instagram with 3 million followers (part of TikTok/IG/LinkedIn creators) as well as selected to be a part of the first Linkedin Creator Accelerator Program & LinkedIn Nanolearning Program.

Please note: I personally do not do career consultations, but if you ever need help, please reach out to our team at hello@wonsulting.com 🤝

Work with us! 🙌
• Social Media Handles: jonathanwordsofwisdom
• Try WonsultingAI for free: www.wonsulting.ai
• 1:1 Wonsulting: career services: hello@wonsulting.com
• Management: uk@wonsulting.com
• Site: wonsulting.com
• Success Stories: wonsulting.com/success-stories

CEO/Founder (Full-Time)

LinkedIn: This wall sign perfectly captures the missing piece in most job searches.

We all set the same goal: Get a Job.

But the goal itself doesn't get you hired. 

Your daily habits do.

Some days will leave you feeling like you'll never truly get there. 

You stare at the goal, and it feels miles away.

But the breakthrough doesn't come from staring at the finish line. 

It comes from the small, boring things you repeat every single day.

As a student from a non-target school, I had big goals but zero results. 

I kept asking, "Will I ever reach my goal?"

Everything changed when I stopped focusing on the "Goal" and started focusing on the "Habit."

Instead of worrying about the job offer, I focused on:
– The habit of sending 5 networking messages a day.
– The habit of refining my resume for 20 minutes.
– The habit of learning one new skill every week.

These small, repeatable actions are what built the bridge to my career.

So if you are feeling stuck, stop looking at the mountain. 

Look at your feet.

What habit can you repeat today that gets you one step closer?

You don't rise to the level of your goals. 

You fall to the level of your systems.

Build better habits, and the future will take care of itself. (And if you need help building that system, start here: https://bit.ly/3L1cl2b)

You got this!  --  🔔 Follow me for more tips, stories, and repost if you found this helpful♻️

#JWoW #Wonsulting #JobTips #Hiring #JobSearch

Jonathan Javier

Guaranteeing jobs in 120 days @ Wonsulting | Forbes 30U30 & LinkedIn Top Voice: Careers | I share career and founder words of wisdom to 3 million followers 👉 @jonathanwordsofwisdom

LinkedIn: This is funny because it's painfully accurate 😅

It feels like a standoff. 

You are scared to say a number too high and lose the offer, and they are scared to say a number too high and lose money.

But honestly, this dynamic is crazy.

Imagine taking out loans for higher education only to find yourself in a negotiation battle where you have no idea what the right number is.

This hits home for anyone from a non-traditional background. 

When you don't have mentors or parents in the industry to guide you, you often feel grateful just to be in the room.

That was me. 

I didn't negotiate my first job because I didn't know I could. 

I was just thankful to be working there.

However, I am here to tell you: Don't let anyone discount the work you've put in to get to where you are today.

You need to know your worth before you enter the standoff. 

Here is how to win the negotiation without the drama:
💡 Arm yourself with data: Use sites like Glassdoor, PayScale, Blind, and Levels.fyi to find typical salary ranges for your level. Walk into the interview knowing exactly what the market pays.
💡 Find allies: Speak to professionals in similar positions or backgrounds who can give you honest guidance on compensation. (Use AI tools to find them here: https://bit.ly/46L63i3)

Get paid fairly.

Let's land you a job (and a raise) in 2026! 
--
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LinkedIn: This specific request is usually the moment I close the tab 😂

Isn't this just the absolute worst?

You are a job seeker, excitedly looking for your next role. You upload your carefully crafted resume, fill out your employment history manually (again), and then... BAM.

They want a one-way video interview before you have even spoken to a human.

It is baffling. Job seekers already pour countless hours into applications. 

Asking for a performance on top of that feels less like hiring and more like an audition for a reality show.

This kind of friction is a major culprit behind "application fatigue." 

It tests your patience and makes you want to quit halfway through.

So, how can we beat this fatigue and save your sanity?
💡 Target smarter, not harder: Stop applying to every role that asks for a video. Focus your energy on jobs where you have a higher chance of being seen. Filter LinkedIn Jobs for postings with fewer than 10 applicants or those posted in the last 24 hours. Be an early bird, not a video star.
💡 Automate the boring stuff: If you have to deal with tedious applications, use AI to speed it up. Tools like ResumAI by Wonsulting and CoverLetterAI, by Wonsulting can handle the heavy lifting of writing, getting you 80% of the way there in seconds. Save your creative energy for the actual interview.

We will solve these problems together, one step at a time! (Ready to streamline your job search? Check this out: https://bit.ly/3pDbGLV)
--
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graphical user interface, text, application, chat or text message

I asked my friend @careercolin to rank job search hacks and he said this👇

Graduation date on your resume is F tier. Don’t do it. Age bias is real and it works both ways.

A photo on your resume is below F tier. Never include it. It wastes space and people will judge you for reasons that have nothing to do with your skills.

Tailoring your resume to the job is A tier. Always worth it.

Having a bullet bank of achievements you can plug in based on the role is S tier. Makes tailoring way faster.

Using the STAR method is B tier. It works, but if you make it too obvious, recruiters can tell.

Times New Roman and clean fonts are S tier. The more a recruiter has to think about your formatting, the less they’re reading your content. Stick to simple fonts like Arial or Times New Roman.

DMing a recruiter once is S tier.
Two to three times is B tier.
More than three is F tier.

Gender neutral names is C tier. Don’t misrepresent yourself.

Lying on your resume is D tier. Just don’t.

Resume summaries are C to D tier. Most are just buzzword soup.

What y’all think?

Let me know in the comments!👇

Follow for more tips and advice and let me know who I should interview next!

#JWoW #Wonsulting #Resume #JobSearch #Career

A reminder that the longer you prolong doing something, the more things will pile up.

And this is important to note, especially in your #JobSearch and #Career.

Let me explain my personal story of how this impacted me.

When I was in my career and looking for a new job while working, I kept defaulting to prolonging doing things.
- Applying to jobs
- Networking with people
- Practicing interviews

Just to name a few.

When this happened - it started piling up, leading me to feel defeated and not wanting to action any of these because there was so many things I needed to do.

However, I realized things would continue to pile up if I never actioned, so here's what I did:

💡Small, consistent actions: Instead of focusing on getting to the end goal as soon as possible, I made sure to make things I wanted to do into a habit. For example, I had a goal of networking with at least 1 recruiter or hiring manager a week, and I did this by reaching out to at least 5-10 per week, back calculating the response rate so I could get at least 1 person to speak with

💡Accountability partners: I had a group of friends who not only held me accountable to doing the things I needed to do, but I also held them accountable - and this was easy because we all wanted to achieve the same thing. For example, we all wanted to land a job when we graduated from university, so we would job search together - I highly encourage people do this as they are looking for a job

💡No shame: Reach out to someone and no response? So what. You'll have people who respond vs. don't - but you focus on the ones who do which will lead to potential job opportunities.

So this is why it's important as I've said before: Do the stuff, and prioritize the stuff that's going to get you to your end goal, but at least get you started.

Best of luck (And if you need help on your job search, book a free strategy call: https://bit.ly/3pDbGLV)

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POV: you walk into a small restaurant for a quick bite and end up discovering a hidden gem that needs real support…

I stopped by @henhousenyc and tried their lamb burrito and Knafeh pancake. No exaggeration, it was one of the best meals I’ve had in a while.

I met the owner and asked how business was going. He kept it real. It’s been up and down. They recently got hit with a random 17,000 dollar insurance bill and have been trying to recover.

You could tell how much heart went into the food. Every recipe had a story behind it. Even a dish no one had ever ordered before ended up being incredible.

Moments like this remind me how many amazing small businesses are one tough month away from closing.

If you’re nearby, go support them. Order something new. Tag them. Bring a friend.

Sometimes all it takes is a little attention to change things up.

Let’s show up for small businesses that pour everything into their craft 🤍

#jwow #nyc #restaurant #smallbusiness

One of the most important concepts in #JobSearch is exactly this - and it's what will help job-seekers land more jobs.

Let me explain (my team is happy to go over these concepts over a free call here: https://bit.ly/3P33mEu)

Many job-seekers get stuck when they're applying to jobs.

They think they need to make their resume perfect from top to bottom where no mistakes should be.

They think that they have to get it to 100%, but when they do this and they finally apply to 1 job, they might get rejected.

And they use that 1 data point to say "Well, I guess my resume isn't good" or "my job search sucks".

However, it shouldn't be this way - you need to shift how you think of job search and instead pivot accordingly.

Here's what I'd recommend:
- Create a resume and tailor it towards the job title you're going for: Job title = look at 5 job descriptions for the one job title, and you'll notice many of the skills and qualifications are transferable
- Get the resume to the "80%" mark. You can do this yourself, use WonsultingAI tools, ChatGPT, whatever it is - just get it to this mark, and you don't have to be perfect
- Start applying to jobs - start with 25 and see how many results you get. If you get interviews, great! If not, no worries at all - that doesn't mean you should keep applying, but instead change something up on your resume OR apply to a different job relating to the same skills and qualifications

The thing about all of this - you don't know any of these data points nor if your resume is good or not until you try.

Where people get stuck is them actually trying in the first place, and getting into the "I need it at 100% before doing so".

Action > perfection, wabi-sabi.

What do you think?

#JWoW #Wonsulting #JobTips #Resume

Comment ROBERT HALF for a free job search guide!

I just spoke to 1,800+ job-seekers about how to land a job in the next 30 days..

Here were the 3 recommendations from the Robert Half LinkedIn Live on how to land a job according to 3 subject matter experts.

1. Contract Roles
Contract roles help you not only gain experience in particular fields you’re interested in. I did a contract role at Snapchat - and it helped me then break into other tech companies like Google, Cisco, and LinkedIn.

2. Use boolean search to identify the right recruiters and hiring managers to reach out to
If you search “Hiring” + a company, let’s say Robert Half, and the field you’re interested in. You’ll have hundreds of posts where recruiters are hiring for roles you qualify for and make sure to send them a message like this: Hi (NAME), saw you’re hiring for XYZ. My experiences and skills in XYZ would be a great fit. Would love to connect and discuss!

3. Make sure your resume is tailored towards the job title you’re going for.
You can use AI to do this, but make sure you edit it so it’s truthful. If you need help navigating AI tools effectively, make sure to check out the Robert Half free job search guide!

And a bonus #4th rec: microcredentials can play a part in you landing a job.

How? If there are two equal candidates and one has a microcredential that's essential to the role (Ex: Project Management, or PMP), it can lead to you getting hired.

Let me know if you have any questions, and follow for more tips!

#JWoW #RobertHalfPartner #job #career

HOT TAKE: Applying to 100+ job is NOT normal.

Let me explain.

When you're on your #jobsearch, you need to think about it like this:
"If I did something 100 times and got no results, would I get the same outcome if I did it 100 times again?"

The answer: Yes.

But think about it - we go through this all the time when we're looking for a job.

We apply to 100+ jobs and then say "Okay - let's keep applying to more".

"Spray and pray" as we like to call it.

However, it shouldn't be this way nor should it be normalized.

You need to have a TARGETED approach and A/B test accordingly to understand where and WHY you're getting rejected (or accepted).

Here's important questions I ask our job search program participants weekly during our group calls who are currently going through this "Applying to hundreds of jobs with 0 interviews":

💡 What jobs are you applying to? Many will say "I'm applying to a job that has 2+ more experience than I have right now" or "I'm currently a Software Engineer but looking to go into Product Management WITHOUT experience". I'll be honest with them - it's tough to do this during this job-market, and you need to be going for roles where 1) you fit the minimum qualifications and 2) 75%+ of the preferred qualifications 

💡 What other methods have you tried outside of applying? Many will say "I am only applying to jobs" but you need to test other strategies and double down on what works. Example: Maybe applying to jobs doesn't work for you, but reaching out to recruiters and hiring managers gets you interviews. I had multiple people in our program who require sponsorship get interviews because they tried multiple strategies, then double downed on what worked (In this case, reaching out to people)

💡How many times have you adjusted your resume? If you apply to 100+ jobs and don't know if it's a resume or "applying to the wrong resume" problem, change something on your resume to A/B test and see if it's a resume problem

If you strategize like this - then you'll get out of applying to 100+ jobs and land interviews and offers.

Here for you always (And if you need help - speak to our team on a free strategy call: https://bit.ly/3pDbGLV)
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I’ve intentionally put myself in rooms with 7-9-figure founders, learning from them, studying how they think, and understanding who they had to become to build what they’ve built. 

One of my goals this year has been to connect with at least one of these founders every single week.

One of those founders is James Cadwallader.

Watching him and the team at Profound grow has been incredible. They’re building the first AI platform designed for marketers in the age of superintelligence, and they’re moving fast.

When I heard they raised their Series C, I was genuinely excited. 

Just months ago (in August), they had raised their Series A. 

Now, they’ve raised $96M in Series C funding at a $1B valuation.

That momentum in such a short span of time is not normal - but it shows that the company has the team to take it to where it was intended to go - a unicorn (And they’re hiring even more now!)

And the launch of Profound Agents, which enables teams to create AI-optimized content and full campaigns in minutes, is another example of how they’ve really pushed the category forward. Profound’s autonomous workers can help your marketing team move from AEO insights to action faster across SEO, content, communications, demand generation, and more.

So wanted to give a huge shoutout to James and the entire Profound team. 

It’s inspiring to watch other founders like him and what they’re building, and it motivates me to raise my own standards even higher.

Excited to continue supporting you all on the journey!

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eMAj6BiK

I asked my friend Colin Rocker recently about how he'd rank specific Job Search Hacks (S->F Tier) at the LinkedIn, and this is how he broke it down 👇

💡 Graduation date on your resume: F tier - don’t do it; age bias is real and it works both ways. 
✅I'd say F Tier as well - remove from your resume, unless you're still in university.

💡A photo on your resume - Below F tier: Never include it. It wastes space and people will judge you for reasons that have nothing to do with your skills. 
✅I'd say F tier too. You don't want someone to judge you based on your appearance. However, I will recognize that other places around the world do require pictures on the resume.

💡Tailoring your resume to the job - A tier. Always worth it.
✅I'd say S tier if job title / job description, but ONLY if you have time for the job description part - I would encourage job-seekers to tailor towards the job title because most job titles have very similar job descriptions (Plus, it takes a LONG time to do this sometimes)

💡Using the STAR method - B tier: It works, but if you make it too obvious, recruiters can tell.
✅I'd say C tier - I actually prefer RCAR: Result -> Context -> Action -> Result. Lead with what you achieved so the person can be "wowed"

💡Times New Roman font - S tier: The more a recruiter has to think about your formatting, the less they’re reading your content. Stick to simple fonts like Arial or Times New Roman.
✅Agreed on S Tier - Times New Roman is the staple, or Arial. Comic Sans and Wingidings? Idk about those...

💡DMing a recruiter - once is S tier, Two to three times is B tier, More than three is F tier.
✅I think mine is once = S Tier, twice = A tier, C Tier is 3 times, and 3 times is F tier because you should simply move onto the next person to reach out to

💡Lying on your resume - D tier
✅I would say this is F tier if you're truly lying about your job and what you did, but if you're "Embellishing the truth", I'd say it's A tier. Example: If you were a ops analyst but you actually did strategy and product ops work, you should have that on your job title

💡Resume summaries - C to D tier. Most are just buzzword soup.
✅100% - I would say these are in D Tier. You don't need a summary UNLESS you're trying to make a career change and don't have experiences to explain why you're making the change

These are our opinions but what do y'all think? Do you agree or disagree?

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ADHD Career Coach | Founder of Momentum — the 8-week coaching program built to get ADHD brains off the overthinking line and into a rhythm of task execution (even on low-energy days)

If you're like most senior leaders I work with, you're not stuck because you lack experience, but because locking into your next move feels impossibly heavy.

I know that feeling well.

For years, I could lead teams, close deals, and make high-stakes decisions without blinking.

But when it came to my own next step?

– Everything blurred.
– The options multiplied.
– The second-guessing crept in.

And the longer I sat with it, the harder it got to move at all.

You can probably relate:

– You can see multiple lanes.
– You can imagine yourself in all of them.
– You can talk yourself into each one if you're not careful.

But eventually, the weight of all those possibilities starts to work against you.

➝ Your story doesn't point anywhere.
➝ Your positioning feels scattered.
➝ Your confidence nosedives.

And you start asking the real question:

"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄?"

Most people assume it's a motivation problem.

It's not.

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

Because when you're keeping too many options open, nothing really lands.

Once you stop hedging and lock into one clear lane, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀:

➝ Your direction locks in. 
➝ Your positioning becomes clear. 
➝ Your visibility grows in the right spaces. 
➝ Your authority increases with the people who matter.

Small wins start stacking again.

Movement feels normal.

Confidence comes back online.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗜 𝗱𝗼.

Through 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 — my 8-week 1:1 career accelerator — I help leaders in transition stop hedging, lock into one clear path, and build visibility and authority where it actually matters.

Here's what you get:

– A structure for clarity, positioning, visibility, and authority
– The accountability and scaffolding that keep you steady
– 1:1 support to reduce friction instead of adding pressure
– A 2nd brain to guide the work between calls (Persona™)

By the time the conversations start, people already understand who you are, what you bring, and where you fit.

And once you lock in?

Momentum becomes the norm.

📩 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 "𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺" 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.

David Hannan

Most people don't realize how easy it is to find recruiters on LinkedIn.

I shared this in a comment a while back and people found it useful, so I'm putting it here properly.

4 ways to find recruiters:

1. People + Industry search.

Run a blank search from your home page, then filter by 'People'. Inside 'All filters', scroll down to 'Industry' and add 'Staffing and recruiting'. You can also filter by 'Location' if you're looking for someone local.

2. Company pages.

Visit a company's LinkedIn page and click on the 'People' tab. Add ("talent" or "recruit") in the search field and hit run. Results will show everyone in talent or recruiting at that company (remove parentheses).

3. Jobs posted in public feed.

From your homepage, search for ("hiring" AND "JOB YOU WANT"), and filter by Posts. Add "staffing and recruiting" again under 'Industry' in 'All filters'. Now you have a list of jobs posted in the personal feeds of recruiters/employers vs doom-scrolling LinkedIn's job boards. Note: "JOB YOU WANT" is the actual job title you're searching for, like "VP of Operations" or "Marketing Director."

4. Recruiters attached to reqs.

When browsing job search results, recruiters' profiles are usually attached to LinkedIn job descriptions. Check them for profile/contact details.

Please reach out like a normal human. 

Be clear. 
Be respectful. 
Be easy to work with.

And recruiters will bend over backwards for you. 

I know I used to.

P.S. ♻️ Repost to help someone else in your network.

Helping senior leaders stop hedging and lock into one clear path | Founder of Momentum | Former $4M full-desk recruiter

10 harsh truths I learned switching careers at 50.

Thinking about a pivot? Read this twice:

1️⃣ You're not too old to change.
But you are too old to keep pretending you're fine

2️⃣ Purpose doesn't just appear.
You create it through messy action and alignment

3️⃣ Confidence won't lead the way.
But it will follow consistency.

4️⃣ Long careers makes choosing difficult.
Each option looks like the right and the wrong one.

5️⃣ Your old career isn't wasted.
It's raw material for your next chapter.

6️⃣ Focus won't magically show up.
You have to build systems that hold you together.

7️⃣ Motivation lies.
You need momentum, even tiny steps count.

8️⃣ You won't feel clear before you start.
Clarity comes after commitment, not before.

9️⃣ Reinventing yourself takes guts.
Especially when it’s easier to stay put than moving. 

1️⃣0️⃣ Progress will feel invisible.
Until one day, you realize how far you've come.

I learned these the hard way by breaking patterns I didn't even know I had. 

If I knew them sooner?

I would've spent less time overthinking and more time trusting the process.

Which one feels the most true for you?

Share below in the comments—let's compare notes.

There are only two ways to show up on LinkedIn:

1. You turn up and think.
2. You throw in the towel.

For longer than I should have, I went along with the second one.

I replied to comments that were clearly AI-generated and engaged with copy-paste slop from people I’ve known for years, telling myself it was just part of staying visible.

But it never really felt right. 

Maybe it’s my ADHD, but I’m bad at faking. 

Responding to zero-effort comments just to keep the numbers up always felt off to me.

“But Dave, you use ChatGPT.” 

Yeah, I do. Every day.

I want to be clear about something though. I make the calls. I don’t drop a prompt in and paste whatever comes out. I use it like an assistant, to help me think, shape ideas, and get unstuck.

It doesn’t replace the work.

That’s where it breaks for me. It feels like throwing in the towel. Like deciding you don’t care enough to show up anymore.

And I do care. I’m not playing along anymore.

I’m blocking people who leave obvious AI comments on my posts, the flat, generic filler that could land anywhere without changing a word. 

I’m also stepping away from the beige content cycle, even if it’s coming from people with much bigger audiences or people I’ve known since the beginning.

If my metrics take a hit or my follower count drops, I’m fine with that.

I’ve spent years building a reputation I’m proud of, and I’m not willing to water that down to inflate vanity metrics. 

I show up here because I care about the people I’m trying to help, especially those navigating real career pivots, and I’m not compromising that.

If it means a smaller room with real conversations, I’ll take it.

10 surprising job search truths I know at 53.

(that I wish I knew at 33)

1. Networking is essential.

Realize that building authentic relationships can open more doors than just handing out business cards.

2. Building a personal brand is crucial.

How you present yourself online and offline can make or break opportunities in your industry.

3. The myth of job security. 

Recognize that the concept of lifetime employment is largely outdated. Diversifying your skill set and being adaptable are your best insurance policies.

4. Self-care is a priority. 

Prioritizing self-care can enhance both your job satisfaction and performance. Ignoring this can lead to burnout and reduced productivity.

5. The value of cultural fit. 

While high salaries or brand-name companies may seem attractive, finding a workplace where you fit in culturally can be equally, if not more, important.

6. Facing ageism. 

Discrimination based on age is a real challenge; staying relevant and adaptable are keys to overcoming it.

7. The importance of time management. 

Understand that being busy isn't the same as being productive. Effective time management is a crucial skill for a fulfilling career.

8. The power of negotiation. 

Whether it's your salary, role, or benefits, strong negotiation skills can significantly impact your path.

9. More than just job titles. 

There's more to job satisfaction than just your title. It's about work-life balance, company culture, and a sense of purpose.

10. Financial planning is a necessity. 

Planning for financial stability is essential, whether for retirement or navigating potential job losses.

The only thing I'd change? 

Start believing them sooner.

PS. What would your #11 be?

10 Job Search Truths I Learned the Hard Way

I turned down $3k and a new client in January. 

Zero regrets.

A Head of Comms DM’d me about working with me. 

Before I responded, I checked their comment history.

Three scrolls in, I found him going off on a recruiter I know. 

Not pushing back or disagreeing respectfully. 

Just mean.

The kind of mean that tells you exactly how someone shows up when things get hard.

Guess what? Coaching’s hard, too. 

On paper, he was solid. But I’m not working with him.

It’s the reason I read beyond someone’s headline. 

Your comments are the realest thing on your profile. 

They show me how you treat people who disagree with you, what you sound like when you’re tired, the version of you nobody’s edited.

I’ve left frustrated comments too, but there’s a difference between saying something’s broken and being rude about the people who don’t see it your way. 

Here’s what I notice with people stuck in their search.

They’re pointing outward. 

All recruiters are idiots. 
Hiring managers are clueless. 
Their last boss was a scumbag.

And that outward pointing keeps them stuck.

Because it’s not about any of those people, it’s about misplaced anger. 

If you’ve been unloading in the comments, do something this weekend. Go through your activity and look at what you wrote.

Ask yourself if that’s someone you’d want to hire. If the answer is no, clean it up.

Not because I’m watching, and many won’t notice. 

But you will.

The person who shows up Monday with a cleaner feed moves differently. 

That person gets callbacks.

You can tell the truth and be smart about it. You can be frustrated and also be someone you’d hire.

I get it, a job search is hard.

Just don’t be a dick about it.

Your reputation’s tied to every single comment.

And it’s why I check them every single time.

PS. Got you thinking about that comment, didn’t I?

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The biggest networking mistake senior leaders make on LinkedIn.

Ever sent a cold DM asking to pick someone's brain?

Of course you have. Who hasn't?

Here's what's happening on the other end: You're asking a stranger for help. For time. For attention. 

And they don't know you yet, so it feels icky.

What actually works is totally different.

Instead of reaching out to that person directly, show up in the rooms where they're already hanging out. 

And I'm not talking about sliding into their DMs. 

I'm talking about finding content that connects:

Could be from a recruiter. 
Could be from a company posting. 
Could be from a thought leader in your space. 

Something that actually resonates with you.

Then you engage in the comment thread. 

Real engagement. 

Not "love this" or some anemic platitude.

You add something to the conversation. Show up where others are already discussing the same stuff.

Do that over and over. Ten, twenty times. 

In the spaces where the people you want to know are already present.

Here's what happens: You become visible. People start recognizing your name. And then—this is the key part—you start becoming familiar. 

That familiarity builds trust. 

And once you've got trust, that's when you can actually reach out and have a real conversation.

It's the relationship rule of three:

Comments boost visibility. 
Visibility leads to familiarity.
Familiarity is the key to trust.

And trust is when you can start picking brains.

P.S. ♻️ Repost to help someone else in your network.

Everything possible makes you impossible to place.

I was on a call the other day with a VP of Engineering.

As he walked me through his background, I remember thinking everything made perfect sense. 

But I also couldn’t follow where he was going with it.

He talked through his roles, the scope, and the kinds of problems he’d been brought in to solve. 

Every part of it added up, but at the same time, each answer opened into another direction he could also see himself taking. 

Deeper technical lanes, operations, and CTO roles.

It all stayed a little too open.

At some point, I asked what he was aiming at next.

He started answering, then stopped. Changed the title. Backed into it, adjusting the wording as he went.

You could hear him trying to say something specific without closing any other doors at the same time.

Nothing was broken, but it’s the part people miss. 

Recruiters were still taking his calls, and yet the whole thing felt heavier than it should have.

What was getting in the way wasn’t experience or credibility, but carrying too many possible futures at once and trying to keep them all alive in the story.

And when everything stays possible, it’s impossible for anyone listening to know where you’re heading.

Honestly, including yourself.

Last week a client said, "I could do any of these five things."

That's where most people get stuck.

I've been sitting with a lot of people whose background just makes sense. 

They've got the experience, and they've done some pretty cool things, but then you ask them what they want next, and there's this shift.

They can talk for twenty minutes about what they've done. 

But when you ask, "So what's the next move?" something happens. It's like they suddenly realize they're choosing which version of themselves to lead with. 

Not which job, but which identity.

One version is the operations person. The systems builder. Another is the people leader. Hired well and trained people up. And then there's the strategist. The one in the room where decisions got made.

They're all real, and they've all got proof.

But when they try to hold onto all of them, their voice changes. There's this hesitation. 

I'll hear it when they talk about what they want next. They'll start clear and then it softens. "Or I could also..." shows up mid-sentence.

It's not a confidence thing because they know they're capable. It's just that their story doesn't actually point anywhere. It sits there in all directions at once.

A hiring manager can hear that. 

They hear the capability, the experience, but they don't hear where the person is actually trying to go.

It's not that any one version is weak, they just haven't decided which version is actually driving the ship yet.

So everything stays flexible, and everything stays technically true.

And why they're stuck between all five.

PS. The first in your list is usually the one.

Defending my team didn’t rattle me, the train ride home did.

This was 2018, back when I was still recruiting.

I had to push back on senior leadership about something that would have landed badly on my team. 

In the room, I kept it together. I listened, took notes, tried not to react. They said I handled it well.

But on the Metro-North ride home, I felt completely detached, just staring out the window. 

I got home and shut down, and the next couple of days took more out of me than I thought.

When you’re the one carrying the weight in the room, you don’t really get to fall apart.

You regulate yourself, you absorb what’s coming at you, and you try to make it usable for everyone else.

That’s how you end up in bigger rooms.

It also takes something out of you.

Before that meeting, I’d already rehearsed what I was going to say and run the objections in my head. 

While I was sitting there, I wanted out, but I kept it together because that was the job.

None of that shows up on a resume or in a performance review.

When I talk to senior leaders now who are between roles or thinking about their next move, this is usually the part that doesn’t come up.

They’ve been carrying that weight for years, and it just feels normal.

The calm exterior, and underneath it, a steady internal burn rate.

You don’t really notice it while you’re still in it.

Sometimes in a career transition, the exhaustion’s been building long before the search even starts.

P.S. What other parts of leadership don’t get airtime?

This is some of the best news I’ve heard on automated/AI generated comment moderation come out of LinkedIn in ages. 

This will have a direct impact on all the big name accounts who’ve relied on engagement pods to boost reach through automated comments. 

Christmas came early. 

LIAM DARMODY — LFG!

Back with a Friday update - today, it's about a comments and the steps we are taking to keep the conversations in the comments authentic and helpful. 

tldr: Automated comments - comments submitted to LinkedIn via a browser extension, script, or third party tool, without human action involved in clicking the “comment" button - are not allowed on LinkedIn. Instead, we want to focus on the comments that are authentic and spark genuine conversations.

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The Battle

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David Hannan

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The Battle

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David Hannan

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