Justin Welsh

The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ burned-out corporate professionals build six-figure, one-person online businesses.

Over the last decade, I helped build two companies past a $1B valuation and raise over $300M in venture capital. 

Then, in 2019, I burned out.

So, I decided to walk away from my high-paying executive job.

But, before I could, I had a hypothesis.

I believed building an audience online would be an incredible asset. That attention was the new currency and would play a major part in my success as an entrepreneur.

So, I started building my brand on LinkedIn in early 2019. 

And the results were pretty phenomenal.

In just 6 months, I grew from zero followers to over 20,000.

And on August 1st of 2019, I walked away from my executive role at a fast-growing startup.

Since that day, I've spent my time building a number of one-person Internet businesses.

My results:

→ $10.3M+ in business revenue at a ~86% profit margin.
→ 750K+ people following my journey on LinkedIn
→ 535K+ people following my journey on Twitter
→ 175K+ people read my weekly newsletter
→ 900M+ impressions in the last 6 years

If you want to learn more about how I did this, you can take one of my self-guided courses.

THE CREATOR MBA DIGITAL COURSE

The Creator MBA teaches you frameworks for turning your knowledge and expertise into a quality product that people will buy. Come learn to build a lean, focused, and profitable Internet business.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/creator-mba

THE OPERATING SYSTEM DIGITAL COURSE

In this 120-minute course, you will learn the complete LinkedIn operating system that I used to grow from 0 to 750K followers and earn $10M+ in income with zero advertisements. Join 40,000+ students and 70+ LinkedIn Top Voices in my LinkedIn course rated 4.98/5 stars.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/linkedin

THE CONTENT OS DIGITAL COURSE

In this 85-minute course, you will learn the 8-part content creation machine behind 600M+ impressions on LinkedIn and Twitter, and building a 175,000+ subscriber newsletter. If you're looking for systems to produce 10-15 pieces of high-quality written content every single day, this is the course for you.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/content

Email: support@justinwelsh.me
X: @thejustinwelsh

Founder

Join 75k+ subscribers to the Saturday Solopreneur. Every Saturday morning, you'll get 1 actionable tip on audience and revenue growth for your online business.

Two years is nothing.

And also everything!

I started at 38 with zero followers and absolutely no idea what I was doing.

Two years later?

I reached 100,000 followers and achieved $1 million in revenue.

I never could have predicted that on day one.

In fact...it felt like the complete opposite was bound to happen.

The only reason I kept going was because it was fun and interesting.

Here's what most people don't understand:

You can't see the finish line at the start.
You have to trust the process & enjoy the ride.

Build when no one's buying.
Publish when no one's watching.
Keep going when everyone's quitting.

Because two years is both nothing and everything.

Nothing in the grand scheme of the work you'll do.
Everything in terms of what it can change.

Two years of consistent action?

That's 730 days of compounding.
730 chances to get better.

And at the end of those two years?

You won't recognize your life.

New income. 
New freedom. 
New options.

All because you didn't quit when it felt slow.

So if you're just starting or feeling stuck, remember this:

Two years from now, you'll wish you had started today.

Six years ago, I couldn't imagine this...

$11.4M+ business, 800K+ followers, freedom to spend my time as I please.

All because I was "dumb" enough to keep trying.

Your turn. 

Want the complete system that helped me build it?

Join 7,500+ entrepreneurs here: https://buff.ly/EFNO1Of 

(It's 75% off for early Black Friday)

The people winning aren't smarter.

They just never stopped learning.

I see this pattern everywhere.

The person who thinks they know it all?

Stuck at the same level for years.

The person who's constantly curious?

Rising fast.

Here's why:

The world changes every day.

What worked last year doesn't work now.
What you learned in school is already outdated.
What got you here won't get you there.

So you've got two choices:

Keep learning.
Or get left behind.

I'm 44 and I still spend hours every week learning.

Reading books.
Testing new strategies.
Staying curious.

Not because I have to.

Because that's what keeps me relevant.

The moment you think you've figured it all out is the moment you start falling behind.

Your competition isn't standing still.
The market isn't standing still.
Technology isn't standing still.

So why would you?

Stay sharp.
Stay curious.
Stay growing.

That's how you keep rising.

If you want to join over 175,000 online entrepreneurs lifting their audience and business-building skills each week, consider joining my newsletter, The Saturday Solopreneur.

I send out one tip to help you grow your audience and revenue every Saturday.

4 minutes or less guaranteed.

Join free here: https://buff.ly/3ZzyLhl

The real flex?

Being yourself.

Most people build for the image.

The likes.
The followers.
The validation.

They post what sounds impressive.
They share what looks good.
They hide what's real.

But here's what I learned:

Authenticity is the only competitive advantage that can't be copied.

When you're real, people trust you.
When you're honest, people connect with you.
When you're yourself, people buy from you.

I stopped trying to sound like everyone else at 38.

Started writing like I talk.
Sharing what I actually think.
Building in public with all the messy parts.

That's what grew my audience to 800K.

Not by being impressive.

By being real.

The flex isn't the image you project.

It's the courage to be yourself when it's easier to fake it.

That's the foundation of everything I teach.

The Creator MBA shows you how to turn who you actually are into a business people truly want to buy from.

111 lessons on building an authentic brand that attracts, connects, and converts.

It's how I turned my experience, expertise, and personality into an 8-figure business.

Zero fakeness required.

It's 75% off for early Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

(ending soon)

Be yourself.
Build from there.

You're not behind.

You're still becoming.

I see people in their 20s panicking because they haven't "made it" yet.

People in their 30s thinking they missed their chance.

People in their 40s believing it's too late.

But here's the truth:

Life doesn't follow a timeline.

- Lost at 22.
- Broke at 28.
- Unsure at 31.
- Rising at 35.
- Entrepreneur at 38.
- Building a dream life at 44.

There's no deadline for success.

I was 38 when I started my business.

Burned out. Starting from scratch. No clue what I was doing.

By 44, I built a $10M+ business.

Not because I was ahead.

Because I trusted the process and kept moving.

Most people quit because they compare their chapter 3 to someone else's chapter 20.

But your story is yours.

Stop rushing.
Stop comparing.
Just keep building.

Greatness isn't rushed.

It's earned one day at a time.

This is exactly why I built The Creator MBA.

111 lessons showing you how to turn "starting over" into "taking over."

Everything I know about becoming an entrepreneur:

- Building an audience
- Choosing a profitable niche
- Creating your first offer
- Making it irresistable

It's 75% off for early Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

(ending soon...)

Your timeline is perfect.
Now go build something on it.

The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ experts turn their experience and expertise into income.

Stay locked in.

No time for drama.
No time for gossip.
No time for comparisons.

Just you and your progress.

Most people waste energy on things that don't matter.

Scrolling.
Complaining.
Watching what everyone else is doing.

But the people who win?

They're too busy building.

I learned this the hard way.

When I was stuck, I was distracted.
When I was growing, I was locked in.

The difference wasn't talent.

It was focus.

Discipline isn't about doing more.

It's about eliminating everything that doesn't move you forward.

Your growth demands your full attention.

Everything else is noise.

Every Saturday morning, I send one focused email to 175,000+ entrepreneurs.

No fluff. No filler. Just one actionable idea to help you build.

It takes 4 minutes to read.

It's free.

And it's designed to keep you locked in while everyone else gets distracted.

Join here: https://buff.ly/VzhEczR

Stay focused.

Keep building.

You can be rich and miserable.

Or rich and present.

Choose wisely.

I know people making seven figures who are absolutely miserable.

Always working.
Always stressed.
Always chasing the next milestone.

They got the money.

But they lost everything else in the process.

Here's what nobody tells you about success:

More money doesn't automatically mean more freedom.

In fact, it usually means the opposite.

More clients.
More complexity.
More problems to solve.

Unless you build it differently from the start.

I spent years grinding before I figured this out.

Working weekends.
Saying yes to everything.
Constantly "on."

And you know what I realized?

The hustle culture BS is just that. BS.

You don't need to work more.
You need to work smarter.

So I rebuilt everything around systems, not hustle.

Now I work 4-6 hours a day.
Take weekends off.
Actually enjoy what I've built.

And the business? Still grows.

Because I stopped confusing activity with progress.

Don't sacrifice your life for your business.

Build your business around your life instead.

Want to build a business that runs without running you into the ground?

I documented the 111 exact systems that let me work half the hours while growing to $10M+.

7,000+ entrepreneurs are already using it: https://buff.ly/G7e899d

Experience is brutal.

It gives you the test first.
Then the lesson.

You launch and fail.
Then you learn why.

You post and get ignored.
Then you learn what works.

You build and hear crickets.
Then you learn what people actually want.

There's no shortcut around this.

Nothing replaces experience.
No mentor can do it for you.
No amount of planning prevents it.

You have to DO it.
You have to LIVE it.

I failed for years before I figured out what worked.

Lost money on bad ideas.
Built things nobody wanted.
Wasted time on the wrong strategies.

But every failure taught me something I couldn't learn any other way.

That's how you get good.

Not by avoiding mistakes.
By making them faster and learning from them.

The test comes first.
The lesson comes after.
That's the deal.

I finally recorded 111 (hard-earned) lessons on building an audience and business from scratch, so that you don't have to go through as many of them.

- Choosing a profitable idea
- Separating yourself from the pack
- Using content marketing to guide people
- Funnel building + conversion optimization
- Scaling from 5 to 6 to 7-figures over the years

75% off today for early Black Friday.

Start watching here: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

Slow progress beats no progress.

Every time.

Most people quit right before it works.

They post for 30 days. No traction.
They build for 90 days. No revenue.
They show up for 6 months. Nothing.

So they stop.

And they never know how close they were.

Because results don't show up on schedule.

They show up after consistency.

I posted on LinkedIn for 8 months before anything happened.

8 months of doubt.
8 months of crickets.
8 months of "will this work?"

Then it clicked.

Not overnight. Not all at once.

But it happened.

And it only happened because I didn't quit.

The people who succeed aren't the most talented.

They're the ones who stayed in the game long enough to win.

If you're ready to understand how to use data and analytics to grow on LinkedIn, join 45,000+ students (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) inside of the LinkedIn Operating System to shortcut the game and (finally) grow.

Start here: https://buff.ly/8weY0jL

It won't happen overnight.

But it will happen if you follow this plan.

Everyone says pick two.

Let's build all three!

If you build it right, you can:

1) Make a lot of money
2) Help a lot of people
3) Have a lot of fun

Most people think they need to choose.

Help people, but stay broke.
Make money, but hate the work.
Have fun, but build nothing meaningful.

I believed that for years.

Spent 15 years making great money in corporate.

But I wasn't helping many people.

And I definitely wasn't having as much fun.

Then at 38, I asked:

What if I could have all three?

People said I was naive.

I ignored them.

Instead, I built a business that:

• Teaches people to build businesses (help)
• Has made over $11.6M in revenue (money)
• Let's me work when I want from where I want (fun)

Turns out, you can have all three.

You just have to build it intentionally.

Find something you're good at.
Package it so people will pay for it.
Build it in a way that doesn't consume your life.

Most people fail because they optimize for one and ignore the other two.

But you can have all three.

The Creator MBA shows you exactly how.

111 lessons on building a business that makes real money, helps real people, and doesn't steal your life in the process. 

8,000+ students are already inside making it happen.

Black Friday ends in 16 hours.

After midnight tonight, the 75% discount disappears forever.

Get in now: https://buff.ly/elfDofH

Stop choosing between money, impact, and freedom.

Build all three.

You've got 16 hours left at this price.

The goal is no more meaningless work.

Let me explain:

I spent 16 years in corporate.

Endless meetings about meetings.
Projects that went nowhere.
Tasks that didn't matter.
Work that felt hollow.

I wasn't tired of working. I was tired of working on things that didn't matter.

Then I left and built my own thing.

And guess what? Sometimes I work MORE now than I ever did.

But it doesn't feel like work.

Because I own it.
Because it matters.
Because I decide what gets my time.

That's the difference.

Meaningful work energizes you.
Meaningless work drains you.

Most people aren't looking to retire and do nothing. They just want their effort to count for something.

So if you're exhausted, ask yourself:

Am I tired of working?
Or am I just tired of THIS work?

The answer changes everything.

I built The Creator MBA to show you exactly how I made that shift. 

111 lessons on building an audience, creating products people want, and replacing your corporate income with work that actually matters. 

This is the complete system I used to go from burned-out employee to 8-figure business owner working on my own terms.

It's 75% off for early Black Friday. 

Watch it now: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

This is your chance to build something meaningful.

You can't build a one-person business.

People won't pay for your work.

Making it as a creator is impossible...

How wrong they were.

Here's what I've learned over 6 years:

The loudest critics are the most afraid.
The biggest skeptics are the least accomplished.
The harshest words come from those who never tried.

The truth?

Growth forces people to question their own choices.
Achievement challenges their limiting beliefs.
Success makes others uncomfortable.

So they try to stop you.

Not because you can't.

But because they're scared you WILL.

I built my business anyway.

You should, too.

Want the exact playbook?

The Creator MBA is a 111-lesson course on building a profitable one-person business from scratch.

Every framework I used to go from $0 to $11.5M in revenue.
Every system that turned my ideas into paying customers.
Every strategy that actually worked (and what didn't).

This is the course that 8,000+ students used to replace their income, quit their jobs, and build freedom on their terms.

Right now it's 75% off for early Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

But this price will disappear soon.

After that, it goes back to full price.

Time to prove the critics wrong...

Image credit: blake_bookclub

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Talks about #branding, #business, #socialmedia, #entrepreneurship, and #personalbranding

Talks about hashtag branding, hashtag business, hashtag socialmedia, hashtag entrepreneurship, and hashtag personalbranding

Manage notifications from Justin

Building a portfolio of one-person businesses to $5M+ in revenue.

Nobody takes you seriously yet. 

That's your advantage.

Because tomorrow's multi-millionaires are today's one-person businesses that nobody's taking seriously yet.

The consultant at their kitchen table.
The creator with 2,500 followers.
The freelancer who "needs a real job."

I've seen this movie before:

2018: "Don't do business on LinkedIn."
2020: "That business isn't sustainable."
2022: "One-person businesses can't scale."

Meanwhile, these "fake" businesses are doing:

• $50K months with no team
• $1M years with no office
• $10M lifetimes with no investors

The pattern never changes:

Year 1: "That's cute."
Year 3: "That's lucky."
Year 5: "How did you do that?"

We're not building something they recognize.

No org charts.
No pitch decks.
Just ridiculous margins.

By the time they take you seriously, you'll be too expensive to hire.

I went from "mid-life crisis" to $10.5M.

While they laughed and doubted.

Your "little" business isn't little.
It's early.

Want to be tomorrow's success story here on LinkedIn?

Steal the playbook → https://buff.ly/cjolSEv 

Let them laugh.

You'll be too busy building to care.

Everyone's worried about looking stupid.

Meanwhile, stupid people are getting rich.

They're launching "dumb" ideas.
Building "basic" businesses.
Charging "crazy" prices.

While you're worried about looking silly...

Remember this:

That executive you're trying to impress?

She forgot your name already.

That peer you're competing with?

He's too worried about his own image.

That random connection judging your pivot?

They'll scroll past you in under a second.

We spend decades performing for an audience that doesn't exist.

• Crafting the perfect career story
• Following the "right" path
• Playing it safe to look smart

But the truth is, everyone's too busy worrying about their own show to watch yours.

This isn't depressing.

It's freedom.

Pure, unlimited, life-changing freedom.

Because once you accept that nobody's watching, you can finally:

Build the business everyone said was silly.
Share the story you've been hiding.
Make the pivot that scares you.
Charge what you're actually worth.

Stop being the person you think they want.
Start being the person you actually are.

The market rewards authenticity, not approval.

I learned this the hard way, and it's exactly why I turned sharing my real story on LinkedIn into an 8-figure business.

Want to stop performing and start building something real on LinkedIn?

I broke down the exact system that took me from zero to 800K+ followers by just being myself.

See how it works: https://buff.ly/BhszdAa

What would you create today if you knew nobody cared?

Talk about and build that.

Every change in my life starts the same.

Fear.

Quitting my job? Terrifying.
Moving to the mountains? Uncomfortable.
Starting my business? Felt impossible.

But fear isn't a stop sign.

It's an arrow.

The phone call you don't want to make.
The idea that won't leave you alone.
The move that feels risky.

They're not obstacles.

They're invitations.

So I follow a simple rule:

If something makes me nervous, I lean in.

Not because I like fear. I don't.

But because I know what's on the other side.

Growth.
Freedom.
The life I actually want.

What you resist gets bigger.
What you confront gets smaller.

I spent 15 years avoiding the thing that scared me most.

Starting my own business.

Then I finally did it.

And it changed everything.

Now when fear shows up, I don't run from it.

I follow it.

What's scaring you right now?

Maybe that's exactly where you need to go next.

Starting my business was terrifying.

But staying stuck was worse.

The Creator MBA is everything I learned going from scared corporate employee to $10M+ business owner.

111 lessons. No fluff. Just the roadmap I wish I had when fear was the only thing standing in my way.

It's 75% off for Black Friday: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU 

(ending in 3 days...)

Your future is on the other side of that fear.

Go get it.

Justin Welsh - The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ burned-out corporate professionals build six-figure, one-person online businesses. | LinkedIn

You think you're playing it safe.

You're not.

The longer you avoid risk, the riskier your life becomes.

Think about it:

The "safe" job that makes you irrelevant.
The business you don't start.
The post you don't publish.

Every day you play it safe, the world moves without you.

Your skills get stale.
Your ideas stay hidden.
Your network stays small.

Then one day, you realize the "safe" choice was the riskiest thing you've ever done.

I see this with people who want to build online but never start.

They wait to feel credible.
They wait for more to say.
They wait for the perfect post.

Meanwhile, people with half their experience are building audiences and creating opportunities.

The risk isn't publishing and failing.

The risk is staying invisible.

I took the risk six years ago.
Started posting with no idea what I was doing.

It felt uncomfortable.

But staying quiet? That was actually risky.

If you're ready to start building visibility, the LinkedIn Operating System gives you the exact playbook. 

45,000+ students, including over 200 LinkedIn Top Voices, used it to go from undiscovered to growing and monetizing their LinkedIn: https://buff.ly/ALO2j0P

Remember:

The riskiest thing you can do is never start.

You'll never feel ready.

So start anyway.

Everyone waits for the perfect moment.

The right skills.
The perfect plan.
Complete confidence.

But here's the truth:

You start.
You suck.
You figure it out.
You get better.

That's how it works.

I wasn't ready when I quit my job.

I wasn't ready when I posted my first piece of content.

I wasn't ready when I launched my first product.

But I did it anyway.

And that's what made all the difference.

Waiting for ready is just another word for never starting.

The people who win aren't more prepared.

They just move faster.

And here's what helps you move faster:

A proven system for building your audience.
A content strategy that doesn't require perfection.
A business framework you can launch before you're ready.

That's what turns messy action into real results.

The Creator MBA is that system.

19111 lessons showing you how to go from zero audience to real income. 

Build while you work. Launch before you're ready. Scale as you learn.

8,000+ students are already inside making it happen.

And you've got 25 hours left to grab it at 75% off.

Black Friday ends Monday night. 
After that, this price is gone forever.

Get it here: https://buff.ly/elfDofH

Stop waiting to feel ready.
Start building today.

Do'ers vs. dreamers.

It's not talent or connections.

Do'ers ship before they're ready.
Dreamers wait for the "perfect" moment.

I've watched countless people with million-dollar ideas do absolutely nothing with them.

They talk about it nonstop.
They work on the concept forever.
They wait for "just one more thing" to fall into place.

Meanwhile, someone with half the talent and 25% of the vision launches something mediocre.

And wins.

Because done beats perfect every single time.

The market doesn't reward the best idea.

It rewards the best execution.

I didn't have the perfect product when I started.

But I shipped it anyway.

And that imperfect action turned into an eight-figure business over 6 years.

If you're tired of sitting on your expertise while others are out there building and earning, I recorded a complete behind-the-scenes class on creating, launching, and scaling your idea.

It's called The Creator MBA, and it shows you exactly how to execute.

Learn to package your knowledge, create products that sell, and launch without waiting for perfection.

8,000+ online entrepreneurs have used it to stop planning and start profiting.

Right now it's 75% off for Black Friday.

Get it here: https://buff.ly/EFNO1Of 

Stop dreaming. 
Start shipping.

The myth of overnight success:

It doesn't exist.

What looks like luck is usually:

• Years of unseen effort
• Relentless persistence
• Countless failures and lessons

Most people:

• See the highlight reel
• Chalk success up to "luck"
• Ignore the behind-the-scenes work

Success is an iceberg.

The visible part is tiny compared to what's beneath.

Stop waiting for your lucky break and start creating it through your work.

Your "big break" is built daily, not discovered.

Want to create your own luck?

There's no better place than LinkedIn.

I put together the most comprehensive research in the market on LinkedIn and packaged it in 90 min. of video.

Here's the full playbook: https://buff.ly/Rp0XTBD

Nobody wants to hear this. But it's true.

Success is boring.

It's not the big breakthrough.
Not the viral moment.
Not the genius strategy.

It's showing up. Again, and again, and again.

Even when nothing's working.

I started my business by writing on LinkedIn for 6 months before anything happened.

Zero traction.
No one cared.
Barely any engagement.

But I kept going.

Not because I'm special. Because I knew the only way to lose was to stop.

Most people quit right before it works.

They publish for a few weeks.
See no results.
Convince themselves it's not worth it.

Then they watch someone else blow up and think, "They got lucky."

No. They just outlasted you.

That's the game!

Patience isn't passive. It's active endurance.

Doing the work when it doesn't feel like it's working.
Showing up when no one's watching.
Trusting the process when you can't see progress.

That's how you win.

Not with one big move. With a thousand small ones.

So if you're frustrated because things aren't moving fast enough...

Good. That means you're still in it.

Stay patient. Keep moving.

The people who win are just the ones who refused to quit.

I documented every single system I used to stay consistent for 2,281 days straight. 

The Creator MBA is 111 lessons showing you exactly how to build an audience from zero, create content that compounds, and turn consistency into an 8-figure business. 

This is how you go from invisible to inevitable.

It's 75% off for early Black Friday. 

Stop waiting for the breakthrough. 

Start building it with a plan: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

Everything is easy when the crowd's cheering.

But the real work? 

That happens in silence.

I remember the looks.

Friends asking "are you okay?"
Family mentioning job openings.
Posts with 3 likes.

Those moments? That's where growth happens.

I wrote for 8 months to crickets.

A few likes.
No comments.
Just me wondering if anyone would ever care.

That's where most people quit.

But after a year of showing up anyway, something clicked.

The compound effect kicked in.

That silence switched into an 8-figure business.

The best decision I made? Not stopping when it made no sense to continue.

If you're in that quiet phase right now, feeling invisible...keep going.

I documented the entire process of going from crickets to $11.7M+ over six years.

The Creator MBA is 111 lessons on how to build an audience and business even when nobody's watching. 

The systems that work when it feels like nothing is working.

It's 75% off for 4 more days: https://buff.ly/JZMm8gU

The world needs what you're building. 

They just don't know it yet.

I empower millennial & gen X job seekers in tech to interview with confidence

Do you feel frustrated with the current job market?
Do you struggle to communicate in interviews?
Do you get rejected often? 
Do you get ghosted?

It usually takes a handful of interviews to warm up. 
But those handful of interviews are jobs. 
Jobs you might really want. 

For the last 20 years, I’ve been studying interviews. 
First as a candidate, then as a hiring manager. 
I’ve been in hundreds of interviews. 

I interviewed countless candidates and interviewers. 
I worked with interviewers to make hiring decisions. 
I learned what worked and didn’t work. 

And I learned that interviews aren’t about trivia. 
They’re about human connection. 
They’re about story telling. 

Interviewers want to experience working with you. 
Interviewers want to see if you’re like them. 
People want to work with people they like. 

I know what rejection feels like. I’ve been there. 
And I know what it’s like to crave feedback.
I know what it feels like to be ghosted. 

And I know what it feels like to get the offer. 
What it feels like to crush an interview. 

Today, I help people make a lasting impression. 
I help them show, not tell, how they work. 
I coach them on how to tell their story. 

I give them the feedback they crave. 
So they don’t have to warm on when it counts. 

Dozens have worked with me so far. 
And they’ve seen results in as little as 7-8 weeks. 

So what are you waiting for? I’m here to help you.

Jonathan Corrales

"I got laid off and don't know if I will find a job again. I can't land an interview. Non stop rejections."

Getting laid off is bad enough. But landing zero interviews and getting only rejections is salt meeting a freshly opened wound. 

It's important to know what to do, but also 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰. You have limited time and energy. For many, job seeking will take six months on average.

In a recent poll with over 2,302 respondents, 37% (852) reported being on the job search for 9 months or more. That's consistent with my conversations with 1,188 job seekers in the last two years. Source in comments. 👇

Here are seven things I've noticed that 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 someone's job search:

1️⃣ Applying for everything:
If it's remotely related to your experience, you apply. Your audience will be confused because it's not obvious how you're a fit, especially if you use the same resume for everything.

2️⃣ Applying because it was posted an hour ago:
I know it's a common piece of advice to apply within an hour. But if you're not qualified for the role, you'll just get rejected faster. Take the time to figure out if you're qualified. Focus on min qualifications.

3️⃣ Not reading the job description:
There are many reasons to read the job description. But one of them is to make sure there aren't special application instructions buried in it. Sometimes you need to send an email. Sometimes you need to record a 1-2 minute video. Read the fine print.

4️⃣ Arbitrarily messaging random people at a company:
Another common piece of advice. Message everyone at a company in the hopes that they'll give you a referral or backdoor into an interview. Your message usually gets ignored. Especially if you're asking for value first.

5️⃣ Sending "what do you have for me" messages:
If there's one way to annoying recruiters or hiring managers, it's sending them a message like, "what do you have for me?" with your resume attached. Especially if that recruiter doesn't recruit for your position/seniority.

6️⃣ Not tracking applications:
If you apply somewhere, they might call you randomly. If you don't remember applying, you're either applying to too many places or you're not using a job tracker. You need to note why you applied and why you're a good fit.

7️⃣ Not applying to jobs consistently:
Once you have a target role and seniority, you should start building a pipeline of opportunities. The best way to do that is to apply to your target roles every day. If it's your target and you're qualified, apply. Expect a response in 2-3 weeks. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

I empower millennial & gen X job seekers in tech to land and pass interviews with confidence

I spoke to a job seeker that hasn't interviewed in 14 years. That's staying power.

When I was a kid, I remember hearing about people having long careers at one company. 

In college, I learned that didn't necessarily apply to tech, especially if I wanted my salary to go up. A lot of people in industry suggested I hop around every couple of years.

(There were some exceptions. Microsoft was supposedly a place to retire from.)

The average tenure for a person in tech is roughly 3 years, based on my experience. 

But I've met plenty of job seekers that changed my view on how long someone can stay at one company.

One of my clients worked at a company for over 20 years, he out lived two acquisitions. When we met, he said this would be the first time he's made a resume or interviewed. Ever. 

I met another job seeker in ed tech that hadn't interviewed in 14 years. She expected a layoff at the beginning of next year. She saw the writing on the wall and decided to plan her exit. 

It's hard to imagine updating a resume after a decade or two, but I see it more often than I thought I would. 

Lesson
If you're employed, you don't have to update your resume every week. But you should record your accomplishments regularly. You don't want to forget important details.

Application
- Create a doc on a cloud drive. 
- Name it "my awesome doc."
- Block 30 minutes every Friday. 
- Name the event "deep work."
- Add the problems, actions, and results (PAR). 
- Use this doc for resume updates, perf evals, etc. when you need it. 


--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

One shot: if your resume's summary is 12 lines, it's too long. That's a cover letter, not a summary. 

Another: if your bullets are four lines, they're too long. That's a paragraph, not a bullet. 

Your resume is a sample of your communication skills. You're demonstrating your ability to discern what's important or relevant information to share. 

I understand the idea is to show how much you know or can do, but putting everything you can think of into that document doesn't work as well as you think. 

Less is more when it comes to a resume.

A great test is to give the job description and your resume to someone. Ask them if they see an obvious match with your resume as written. If they can't do it, recruiters and hiring managers will struggle too. 

Remember that you're resume is skimmed, not read word for word. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips #techresume

A year after you got your job, you feel like you should get a pay increase. Now what?

If you're a year into your new job and you want to prepare to have a conversation with your manager about increasing your pay. This is for you.

Having that conversation is easy. Preparing for it is hard. 

Well, not really hard. Tedious is more like it. But with a little planning you can do it easily.

Save your job description 
Your job description has all sorts of useful information for performance evaluations. It's got responsibilities, goals, etc.  It's your scope of work. If you're doing more than what's expected, we'll use that. 

Build an awesome doc 
Write down all your wins. If you make mistakes, write down how you overcame it and what you learned. If you're doing stuff that wasn't in your job description, write it down. This is your reference doc. 

Record achievements and accolades
Anytime you get rewarded or recognized for your achievements, write it down. Help close a sale? Led delivery of a project? Helped someone get promoted? Record what you did and how you helped.

Time, money, and scope 
Here's where you demonstrate the value you delivered. Companies care about making money, saving money, going faster, and improving quality. If you can demonstrate that in terms of money (increased revenue or decreased cost), time (delivered sooner), or scope (closed 300 tickets or led 12 engineers), you're golden. 

Research
Here's where you tie everything together. Do some research on what someone with your qualifications, skills, and experience is making. Figure out what the average and 75th percentile are. Get a sense of what's reasonable. 

Given everything you've accomplished and based on your research, what's a number you would be comfortable asking for?

--

👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews. 
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

"What is a good software project and how do I make one?"

Before getting into it, think about your goal here. If you're building software to land a job, your goal is to learn and show potential employers what you can do. 

A good software project is one that works. If it does something interesting, that's good. But if it solves a problem, that's better. 

Problems can be all sorts of things. Like broken processes, repetitive tasks, or boredom. Solutions can be new tools, automation, or entertainment (think games). 

But software alone isn't enough. You have to describe what you did, how you did it, and why you did it. Do it in writing or on video. Discuss trade offs and design decisions.

Note what you learned and what you would do differently. You can put that information in your portfolio (e.g. GitHub) or use it in your interviews (in your responses). 

Frameworks, languages, and so on will change overtime. Feel free to explore different combinations. Get creative. Just make sure it's inline with the job you want. 

When you try different stacks you'll see new ways to solve problems. You'll be invaluable. 

Don't know where to begin? Find a job description you're interested in. Note skills, tech, or experience they want. Then build pick a tech stack to work with. 

Pick a problem and get after it. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips #techportfolio

Going for a technical project or program manager role? Don't call people resources. They're people.

There are some words you just don't say at work. But I didn't think resources would be one of them...

A few years ago, I had to fill a technical program manager role. I got a referral from a coworker. 

When I opened that person's resume, he had decades of relevant experience. He seemed like a shoe-in. 

I gave him a phone screen. We spoke for an hour. I was excited about working with him. 

I booked him for an on-site interview with all the team leads in my org.

When he showed up, I escorted him to the interview room. I introduced him to the leads and left. 

He had his interview. I was hopeful. 

I got feedback from all the leads. No one was thrilled with his performance. 

"He called people resources," one team lead said. "He's not going to fit in here."

That's when I realized the candidate inadvertently talked himself out of a job. He said a bad word: resources. No one wanted to be called a resource. 

In the candidate's defense, project management books called people resources for decades. It's part of the vernacular. Human resources, for example. 

But times changes they do change. 

Eventually, we interviewed another candidate for the position. He nailed the vibe check. He called people people, not resources. He got the offer. 

And that's why it's important to practice how you respond to questions in an interview. Remember your interviewers are paying attention to the words you choose. 

--

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

We all start new jobs with potential. Sometimes those hopes are dimmed by unexpected challenges.

A few years ago, I'm sitting in my office looking out of my window. It oversaw a little air strip where small planes and helicopters landed. 

One of my devs leads, M, knocks on the door. He wants to talk about a recent hire, J. 

J passed his interviews without any issues. But he wasn't performing as expected.  

M starts to tell me about J's performance issues. He asks me for guidance. J is a few months in. I worry M is about to recommend J goes somewhere else.

"J isn't doing well," M says. "Maybe there's another team he's better suited for."

"Actually," I say. "I have an idea. Our support team could use a resident dev to help with support requests. I've got buy-in from leadership to fill that role."

"That sounds like a plan," M says. 

I meet with J and review the plan with him. I ask if he's interested in making the switch. 

"Let's do it," J says. "Sounds like fun."

Fast forward to J's performance evaluation a year later: his new lead gives him a glowing review. "J is one of the best hires we've ever had."

J still works there six years later. 

And that's why it's important to understand expectations before beginning a new job. Ask as many questions as you can throughout your interviews. 

Make sure you understand those expectations clearly. 

--
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

I was about to fail my job interview, and I knew it. 

It's 2005. I'm standing in a room with three interviewers staring at me. It's not a big room. I'm not sure why I'm standing. 

I feel like they're waiting for me to say something impressive. 

They're about to be very disappointed. 

I'm holding a dry erase marker that smells like strawberries. They want me to solve a problem that reminds me of a physics problem I couldn't solve in class. 

"That's it. You're screwed," I think to myself.
"Can you repeat the question?" I ask. 

I start writing whatever they say. I underline things like distance, speed, and draw a circle. I'm hoping I magically remember how to calculate the circumference of a circle. 

"I know pi is part of it," I think to myself. "I should have paid attention in math class. Fu..."

"Jonathan," one interviewer says. "Can you say what you're thinking out loud? We want to understand how you're doing thinking about the problem."

I look at him. I probably made a face that showed I was irritated or nervous. Both would have been correct. I can feel a bead of sweat forming on top of my head.

"Sure," I say. "No, problem."

But there was a problem. I couldn't solve this problem in silence. How was I supposed to solve this problem thinking out loud? Awkward.

That's when I realized I was going to fail that interview. There was no way to save it. 

Ever since that experience I practiced solving problems out loud. I would practice with others, my friends, my family, my wife. Anyone that'll humor me for a few minutes. 

And that's why today I help my clients practice solving problems out loud. I help them organize their thoughts and deliver responses clearly and concisely 

That's what turns interviews in to offers, especially in the tech industry. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

"Interview process is moving very fast. I'm suspicious."

It's easy to feel like something is wrong now that we're conditioned for hiring to be slower than molasses. 

But lesser-known companies still need to fill roles urgently. And they don't want good talent to go anywhere. 

Still, if you feel like it's going too fast, don't be shy about understanding the rush. Get curious and ask questions. 

Sometimes, job descriptions will say something like urgent or immediate. Ask about that. Why is it urgent? What's the expectation for the next couple of months?

Learn about what you're getting yourself into. It might be a great opportunity. Not a scary one. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips #oneshot

He was exhausted from working holidays and weekends, but terrified of what it meant to chase his dream in tech. 

A year ago, one of my clients was working in retail as a manager. He worked 60 hours a week for more than 10 years. 

He was tired of it. He wasn't a fan of working holidays and weekends. He wanted to spend more time with his wife. He wanted to break into the tech industry. But he was terrified it was too late for him.

He went to school while working retail and got a bachelor's in computer science. He went to school at night. Still, he was worried he couldn't break into tech because he lacked experience in the field.

When I met him, he wasn't getting a lot of interviews. The ones he got ended in rejection. 

He was working on a side project to build experience and keep his skills sharp. He was helping a bootstrapped startup build a cloud-based platform by building its infrastructure. 

He had something to talk about in his interviews. If only he could get someone to look at his application and see potential. If only someone gave him a shot to prove himself. 

After I heard his story, I was emotionally invested. 

I helped him get organized and stay consistent throughout his search. He started getting interviews. It helped him get traction.

Then I made sure his resume showed his qualifications for a systems engineer role.

One day he got an interview at local university in one of their engineering departments. He passed his interviews. A few weeks later, they gave him an offer. 

On the way to his retail job, he got a phone call. It was an offer for his first position as a systems engineer. He broke in to tech. He called his wife and cried with her the phone. 

He was finally able to take nights and weekends off. 

And that's why I'm a firm believer in showing employers what you can do, especially in tech. I help my clients put together portfolios, pitch desks, and complete take home assignments to secure offers. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

"I don't need to tell you about how dehumanizing the application process has become."

To make sure I stay empathetic and compassionate for the job seeker experience, I like to help clients apply to jobs. 

I'll join call with them. Then invite them to open a position they're interested in and we go to work. I show them how to parse job descriptions, tailor resumes, and so on. 

Occasionally, we come across applications that require so much information, it's kinda like a body cavity search. 

Some applications want a video recording. And some want to see demos of side projects. Some ask for sexuality. One asked for a spirit animal. (I wish I made that up). 

I'm talking applications for all sorts of companies from large to small, and everything in between. 

I'm old enough to remember when applying to a job meant filling out a single double-sided piece of paper on a clipboard with a pen that barely worked. 

Today, the expectation for job seekers is exhausting. Frustrating. Intrusive. Exhausting.

So when a job seeker says, "I don't need to tell you about how dehumanizing the application process has become," my response is "Nope. I'm well aware."

If you're a job seeker in this market. I see you. I feel what you're going through. This mess isn't your fault. Employers need to focus on improving the candidate experience. 

Everyone has been a job seeker at one point. Everyone can be a job seeker again. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

"I just graduated college and don't have any professional experience."

When I graduated college, most of my classmates and I had zero professional work experience. We worked retail jobs and did some gig work. Employers didn't count that.

Some of my classmates were savvy enough understand the value of internships (and how to get them). Many, like me, thought a degree alone was enough to land a job.

In some ways, the field has changed drastically. It's remained the same in others.

Entry level positions still require three years of professional work experience. After 20 years, it's still a requirement today. That part hasn't changed. 

Some job posts today even explicitly mention the internship experience doesn't count. 

If you're a recent graduate and need to add experience to your resume, here a few things you can do.

Open source
Open source contributions is basically a simulation of working a job out there. You have users, version control, and an issue tracker. It'll help you build out your Github profile. Checkout goodfirstissue[dot]dev for entry-level issues to tackle. 

Volunteer 
You can contribute your skills to organizations that need them but can't necessarily afford to pay for those services. Volunteering can lead to job offers, just like internships can lead to offers. Checkout 48in48[dot]org. Add that work to your portfolio. 

Side project
If you see a problem you can solve, go for it. The great thing about a side project is that you can pick your tech stack, design your own solution, and so on. The downside is you'll like be working on it alone. If you need inspiration, check out theforage[dot]com. 

Post grad internships 
Some companies offer internships for recent grads. They have  restrictions on how recent your graduation date should be, typically about a year. But it's a great opportunity to build experience and your network. Search for "recent grad internships."


As you work on those things, keep a notebook of your experience. Note the problems you solve, how you solve them, and what impact your work has. 

That'll give you stories to tell and a body of work to demonstrate what you're capable of. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

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Jonathan Corrales

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