Do job applications work? Leadership trust and intentional networking

Check out the book recommendation today!

It was my birthday last week. Thanksgiving in the USA is next week.

This time of year I get to reflect a lot on things I’m grateful for. 

Gratitude has a transformative effect on us. It changes our perspective. It helps us see progress, wins, and growth even in the midst of significant challenges and obstacles.

I’m grateful for you, for reading these newsletters and investing in yourself. 

If you apply the principles I share here, you’ll then be grateful you did.

You’ll see changes, results, and perspectives change. 

So dive in today, take action, and be grateful as you witness the growth!

In today’s newsletter:

• Connect rather than apply

• Leaders extend trust first

• Intentional networking

• Hot jobs

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CAREER TIPS

Applied for Dozens of Jobs with No Response? Change Your Approach

Applying to online job postings alone is rarely successful, especially if there is any competition for that job. Sure, most companies require you to at least get in their system, but relying on their system to find you for an interview is a recipe for failure. 

So, if you've been applying to jobs repeatedly with no results, it's time to change your approach. 

Online job systems don't hire you, people do. Connect with people!

Seek to answer these questions:

• Who are the decision-makers?

• Who do I know in the company?

• Are there any alumni connections I can find?

The point is - find connections with people who can help you get to the next step. 

Utilize any networking connections you have - social media, LinkedIn, family, friends, acquaintances from faith or social groups, etc. You never know who will provide the help you need. 

Even if a job isn't open for a company you are interested in, it may still be useful to find people there to connect with. Many jobs are never even posted because they are already filled with people that they know!

So connect with people. Ask for conversations. Don’t just apply and hope to hear from them.

LEADERSHIP TIPS

Extend Trust to Earn Trust

Can you ever write and talk enough about trust? Probably not. Its power is huge at work, at home, in communities, and more. 

Without trust, things just break down. And truthfully, trust doesn't just happen. It is built and shaped over time in relationships by making and keeping commitments to each other. But where does it begin? With you.

A leader's job is to lead

First off, remember that you can be a leader whether or not you have an official leadership title. Leaders set the example for people to follow. If you expect people to work hard, you should be a hard worker. If you expect your team to treat each other with respect, you need to respect each person yourself. People naturally model or pattern their behavior from their leaders. It works the same way with trust.

As a leader, you don't have time to test everyone out before you trust them. If you want trust to exist in your teams, you need to lead out and extend trust first. As Stephen M. R. Covey says, "extending trust is what turns a manager into a leader." His book, The Speed of Trust, is awesome, by the way. You should read it.

Extending trust invites reciprocity

When trust is extended, it invites the principle of reciprocity to come into effect. When we give something to someone else, there is a natural tendency for people to want to give something in return. Extending trust to individuals and teams powerfully invites reciprocity towards you and others around them.

Certainly, behind all of this, it is imperative that you are someone worthy of trusting. You have to tell the truth, do what you say you are going to do, be accountable and take responsibility, and more. But extending trust is truly what takes things to the next level and transforms the culture, feeling, and relationships around you.

Extending trust is how you empower people to do good work. Extending trust is how you delegate and focus on more important things. Extending trust is how you build people to be the next generation of leaders to replace you. Extending trust is how you build strong and resilient children.

Yes it is risky, but it's 100% worth it.

 HOT JOBS OF THE WEEK

> Control Software Engineer at Tata Technologies
> Senior DevOps Engineer (Copado) at ICF
> Sr. Software Engineer, Blockchain at FIS Global
> Staff Software Engineer - .NET at WellSky

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📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The Intentional Career Guide to Professional Networking: Build Relationships, Find Mentors, and Expand Your Impact by Jeff Perry

Yes, this book was written by me! 

Networking is an often underutilized and misunderstood concept in the professional world.

It’s so much more than just collecting business cards and connections on LinkedIn. 

It’s about building meaningful relationships that are transformative for everyone.

This book is a practical guide to everything you need to be an All-Star networker. It teaches you how to make the most of events and conferences, how to find and cultivate mentoring relationships, how to make connections inside and outside of your workplace, and so much more.

It was my birthday last week, so maybe give the gift of ordering a copy for yourself and someone you care about to start deepening and expanding your network with intention!