The hidden door to job success

Hi networkers,

It’s no secret that the job market is tough right now, just scroll through LinkedIn’s job board and you’ll see day-old posts with 100+ applicants.

With so many people lining up to apply, how do you stand out?

Well, you can skip the line entirely, even if you have little to no experience!

Why? Because getting a job is like getting into a nightclub and in today’s article, we’ll discuss the best way for you to get into that nightclub.

Here’s the route for today

🎙️ Topic: The Hidden Door to Jobs

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TOPIC
The Hidden Door to Jobs

Last week, I found an interesting video about landing jobs that said it’s like trying to get into a nightclub.

There are 3 doors to get into this club, let’s talk about each one.

Door 1: The Main Entrance

The majority line up here. It’s the most obvious way to get in, but it’s also the least likely.

This is the equivalent of applying with your resume, and expecting a reply. Your chances are slim unless you have a 4.0 GPA and go to a target school.

The problem: Obvious does not equal easy. Door 1 is a waste of time because there’s simply too much competition.

Door 2: The VIP Line

This shortcut is reserved for those with connections or status. We’re talking celebrities, influencers, and anyone with f*ck you money.

For jobs, this is like being friends with the hiring manager or having your dad be the CEO.

The problem: Most of us don’t have those VIP relationships. Door 2 is like an unfair advantage only a few can leverage.

Door 3: The Hidden Door

Most people think there are only 2 entrances:

1. either you’re a top 1% candidate and go with door 1, or

2. you have inside connections and go with door 2

But to those who think outside the box, there’s a 3rd way.

If door 1 is the main entrance, and door 2 is the VIP line, then door 3 is like entering the kitchen from the backdoor, and befriending the staff.

Stay with me here, because I’ll use my story as an example.

To land my 1st internship, door 1 didn’t work because my GPA was average.

Nor could I use door 2, since I knew nobody influential.

So how’d I get the job? I emailed the recruiter in charge of the role and persuaded her to have a coffee chat.

See the analogy here?

• my email = entering the kitchen from the backdoor

• coffee chatting recruiter = befriending the staff

I’m not alone in this either. A student once got an internship at Snapchat by cold-emailing the CEO!

Now sure, door 3 isn’t guaranteed. You’ll need to put in the effort, craft a worthwhile message, and build up that connection.

But trust me, if you take the time to do this, to reach out to the right people, and to do this consistently, you’ll get into the nightclub. 🕺

My advice to you:

Do your job search as you normally would, but don’t apply right away.

Instead, make a list of the roles that stood out to you, and try to get in contact with the decision-makers.

This could be:

1. LinkedIn messaging the hiring managers

2. Cold emailing the recruiters

3. Or anything else you can think of

Then, once you’ve established that connection, apply.

See you next Tuesday 🤝

-Michael Ly

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