You spent hours researching the company, rehearsed your answers, and asked smart questions. You walked out of the interview feeling like you nailed it.
Then you sent a thank-you email. Something like: “It was great to meet you. I’m very excited about the opportunity and look forward to next steps.”
And just like that, you missed a huge opportunity to close the deal.
In a job search, time can be your scarcest resource; if you’re not focused on the highest-ROI actions, it’s easy for weeks to quickly pass with no offers, especially at senior levels where the roles are fewer. You can jump-start your results with a strategic approach to prioritization. So, what to do first when you can’t do everything?
Rather than relying on gut feel or defaulting to whatever lands in your inbox first, try evaluating each job search activity against three criteria, each scored on a scale of 1 to 3:
You’re putting in the hours – Zooms, Coffees, Handshakes – and yet your calendar is full of meetings that have gone nowhere. Weeks pass with no interviews and a growing sense that your effort isn’t getting results.
The issue isn’t that you’re not networking enough; it’s that your strategy needs adjusting. These three fixes will ensure you land more interviews while optimizing valuable job search time.
You’ve spent years building a robust professional network. You’ve cultivated relationships with peers, mentors, and industry leaders. So when you signal that you’re exploring new opportunities, you expect your network to perform. Yet too often, promising conversations dissolve into silence. Warm introductions never materialize. Emails go unanswered.
This isn’t a reflection of your professional standing. It’s a design problem: you’re making it too hard for people to help you. The fix is straightforward. Make it easy. Here are three ways to do so.
In an increasingly challenging job market, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Whether you’re navigating your current role (from the C-suite on down) or pursuing your next opportunity, self-marketing in your career is no longer optional—it’s essential.
Here are three high-impact ways to do it.
When helping clients optimize their resumes or LinkedIn profiles, I often use AI prompts to refine the content. Here are seven prompts to create stand-out content so you get more interviews, plus one that you shouldn’t use. Note: some of the prompts are long, as you get better results with specificity. Also, my go-to AI chatbot is usually ChatGPT (free unless you use it excessively), but feel free to experiment with others.
If you’re concerned about job security – hearing rumours, expecting change, or worried about an uncertain economy – don’t wait. Use these seven approaches to either avoid a layoff, make the most of it (yes a layoff can be an opportunity), or set yourself up for a quick move.
When I help clients (from the C-suite on down) to prepare for an interview, we dive into their pitch, persuasive stories, challenging questions, and more, often via a mock interview. Sometimes, though, there isn’t enough time before an interview to schedule this prep, so I send them a customized version of the following interview preparation checklist:
The Thanksgiving-to-New Year period is a great time to set yourself up for a quick job search in the new year. Yes, hiring slows down at many organizations, and many executives take time off, so you’ll see fewer interviews and job offers. BUT those in the office have more time to read your email and speak with you. So, if you’re thinking of making a career move internally or externally, take the opportunity now to get on the radar of leaders who will be making hiring decisions in early 2026.
Want More Job Offers? Be the Best B2B Salesperson – For Yourself
by Robert Hellmann • Job-Search Strategy
In a job search, your “job” is now sales — you’re the product. And it’s not just any kind of sales. It’s B2B sales: a relationship-driven process where you’re selling a high-value solution (yourself) to sophisticated buyers (hiring decision-makers) who take their time with job offers, involve multiple stakeholders, and don’t respond to hard closes. The best B2B salespeople and the most effective job seekers share four underlying qualities.