You've done the hard work: you’ve built a great profile, identified the right people, and started a promising chat on LinkedIn. Now comes the single most important step in the entire process, the one that separates passive networking from proactive career building: The Ask. This is the pivotal moment where you transition the conversation from digital text to a real-life call. Nailing this step is how you build genuine connections that lead to referrals and bypass the application black hole. 4 Simple Ways to Make "The Ask" Your goal is to make the invitation feel like a natural, low-pressure next step. Here are some simple phrases you can adapt: ⭐️ “I’ve really enjoyed our back-and-forth here. Would you be open to a quick call sometime? I’d love to hear more about your work and what’s been on your radar lately.” ⭐️ “You’ve got a really interesting perspective on ____. If you’re open to it, I’d enjoy setting up a short chat to trade ideas and learn more about your career path.” ⭐️ “Since we’ve had a chance to connect here, I’d love to continue the conversation live. No agenda, just curious to hear more about your work.” ⭐️ “If you’re open to it, I’d enjoy hopping on a short call—nothing formal, just a chance to hear more about your work and exchange ideas.” How to Nail the Conversation Once they say "yes," keep these simple rules in mind for the call itself: ✅ Stay Curious, Not Demanding. This conversation is about them. Your goal is to listen and learn. Ask about their career path, a new project at their company, or a topic you were already chatting about. Avoid transactional phrases like "Can I pick your brain?" or "Can you help me get an interview?" ✅ Listen More Than You Talk. Think of this as an information-gathering session, not a sales pitch. The insights you gain will be invaluable if you do end up interviewing with their company. The more you listen, the more you learn, and the stronger the connection will be. ✅ Mention Your Search, But Don't Overplay It. Towards the end of a positive conversation, you can gently pivot. Try something light like, "From everything you've shared, your company sounds like a great place to work. Are you the right person to speak with, or is there someone else you'd recommend I talk to about potential opportunities?"

AI can only do so much in the hiring process. It ranks your resume and a few other tasks, but eventually a person takes over the hiring process. The way around AI is to have conversations with people. Who can you reach out to today?

In this video we discuss how to write your bullet points. Watch the video here.

Thank you emails are another great way to stand out because very few people send them. Learn why they are important and what to say. https://www.skool.com/job-search-powerup-9830/classroom/69289b9a?md=e8830e579c4f4c75b3094386b0542783 Below is a short highlight from the video.

Most of the time, the “unemployment rate” you see in the news (called U-3) only counts people who don’t have a job and are actively looking for one. But that number leaves out a lot of people who are struggling. U-4 adds in discouraged workers who want a job but stopped searching, while U-6 also includes people working part-time who really want full-time work, plus others on the sidelines who would take a job if one came along. In short: U-3 is the official number, U-4 digs a little deeper, and U-6 shows the full picture of how many people don’t have the work they want. Official unemployment rates are reported here.