QUOTE OF THE DAY
From “Linked” — a book about conquering LinkedIn to land your dream job:
Getting a referral from a current employee or being introduced to the hiring manager by an agency leads to massively outsized results. And what do these two strategies have in common? You guessed it: actual relationships. With, you know, actual humans.
IDEA OF THE DAY
Whether or not you’re actively job hunting, this insight from the LinkedIn-focused book I’m reading feels worth sharing. I just read the chapter on networking, and surprise—it’s the single biggest factor in shifting the tide of a job search.
Take a look at this chart: 
Most of us start our search on familiar job boards—Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn. They’re easy and accessible. But when you look at who actually gets hired, the data is clear: employee referrals rise to the top of the pile.
Why?
Because there’s already a human connection already in place.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. Back in college, I taught kids martial arts (for a heartbeat). Through the dojo community, I met parents who eventually offered me part-time work—as a bookkeeper at a print shop, a house cleaner, and even a personal assistant to a realtor. (Let’s be real: college-me was saying yes to everything.)
More recently, when I transitioned out of education, I reached out to a local life coach to learn more about her path. That single informational interview turned into a year-long internship opportunity to help her grow her business—and helped me learn how to start my own.
Networking isn’t just about getting ahead—it’s about real conversations with real people that open doors you didn’t even know existed.
I know the word networking can carry some ick for a lot of us—so next week, we’ll explore how to make it more creative, more human, and less blah.
Until then, just stay open to the idea. Maybe even take a moment to reflect: How has networking guided you in the past?
You may be surprised with how many connections pop up.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What does “authentic connection” mean to me in a professional context?