Welcome to Career Essentials, where I share actionable insights and curated articles that will help accelerate your career and supercharge your job search.
Boost Your LinkedIn Visibility with Smart Comments
Do you want more people to see your LinkedIn profile and actually engage with you?
Start commenting.
A polished profile alone won’t get you noticed. LinkedIn rewards activity, especially meaningful comments.
When you leave thoughtful, relevant comments:
✅ You show up in other people’s feeds
✅ You attract attention from the author and their network
✅ You demonstrate expertise without self-promotion
Typing “Great post” isn’t enough.
Try adding insights, tagging others, or asking a smart question instead.
The goal isn’t to comment on everything. Be strategic. Focus on:
🔹People who work inside target companies
🔹People who are industry thought-leaders
🔹People you used to work with
🔹People you want to meet
That’s how you get noticed, grow your network, and stay top of mind.
Are you already using comments strategically on LinkedIn or just hitting “like"?
Don’t miss additional ideas in the post comments on LinkedIn here
🔎 JOB SEARCH
Top 7 warnings for those in job search mode - Bernadette Pawlick
I hope some of these 7 things validate what you are experiencing (and feeling) is common. As Bernadette says, it is what it is. If you haven’t yet experienced any of these, you will. The wisdom is to not let these things interfere with your self-confidence or job search. Not easy, but vital.
Five More Questions Readers Frequently Ask About Job Scams - Mark A. Dyson
Mark has been a strong ally for job seekers. He answers questions about multi-factor authenticators, what to watch out for when hearing from recruiters and resume writers, how to handle a layoff, options for generating income, and how to stay safe from scams.
Posting isn’t the growth engine it once was anymore - Michaela Alexis
What can you learn about visibility on LinkedIn from someone with over 175K followers? It’s harder to get eyes on what you post. It’s true. But read why Michaela believes these 3 things are almost more important.
Add 3–5 relevant new connections daily
Leave thoughtful comments (10 posts/week) on 2nd connections' posts.
Reply to your DMs
We can learn a lot from experts.
🗨 INTERVIEWING
You are going to watch this short video where Lisa explains why recruiter feedback, especially “we decided to go with someone with more X industry experience” happens. It happens a lot, you get feedback that just doesn’t make sense and when you learn why, it will. (Have you ever heard sales people say “buyers are liars”? Recruiters can be too.
⚙ AI
How C Level Hiring Managers Are Using AI - Marie Zimenoff
“Nearly 100% of U.S. hiring managers are leveraging AI in their processes, primarily for scheduling (75%), crafting job postings (54%), and creating interview summaries (53%).” Let’s debunk the myth (see Recruiter Perspective below) that AI is auto-rejecting. And to see all the data in one place, read Career Thought Leaders post here.
🔮 WORKFORCE
Recovery remains elusive in a year of change - LinkedIn’s Economic Graph
LinkedIn’s report takes a global look at the workforce. And it is sluggish globally, not just in the US.
Job seekers outnumber job openings in every country except: Canada, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
One reason entry-level advanced degree holders face a sharper slowdown is their concentration in industries most affected by the global hiring slump—Professional Services, Technology, Information and Media, Manufacturing, and Financial Services.
Economic factors, such as higher interest rates in the US, have likely driven most of the hiring slump in these sectors. (Not necessarily AI)
LinkedIn data shows US seasonal work is scarcer this year
💰 CAREER
The Science of Stretching Your Limits - Dr. Heather Maietta
Heather writes: “Most people avoid the unknown because it feels risky. So, they stay in the same job, same career, same role longer than they should. But neuroscience tells us your brain rewires itself when you step outside your comfort zone.”
Her post shares 5 ways to make discomfort your career-growth engine. Here’s the challenge she puts forth: Pick one way to stretch this week.
📶 RECRUITER PERSPECTIVE
Understanding the “Auto Reject” Functionality in ATS - Kristen Fife
As a recruiter, Kristen regularly debunks myths or false-beliefs about the hiring process (from her perspective). In this post (that links to her full article), she says there are 2 real reasons autoreject happens and it has nothing to do with AI. The two reasons are 1) knockout questions and 2) offer pending. There are some great questions and answers in the comments, so if you want to better understand what’s happening read BOTH the comments and the article she wrote!
EVENTS
LinkedIn Power Moves For Job Seekers
If you’re updating your LinkedIn profile and hoping recruiters find you, you’re already behind. The best opportunities go to job seekers who know how to work LinkedIn, activate their network, and get in front of decision-makers.
This Power Session Is For You If:
You’re tired of tweaking your profile without results. It’s time to build a presence that attracts real opportunities.
You’ve heard about LinkedIn’s new tools, but want to actually use them strategically to boost visibility and engagement.
You’re done blending in. You want to stand out with a message and brand that gets noticed by the right people.
Literally only 3 spots are left!
JOB SEARCH VISUAL
Let’s talk about how to get referred!
🚀 PROACTIVE APPROACH
Before a job is posted, contact people who work inside companies you are interested in working for. (Create a target list of companies.)
Start reaching out to people you already know who work inside these target companies. (They are more likely to have a conversation with you because they already know you.)
Even if the person you know isn’t in the right department, they still have opinions about what it’s like to work for the company. Once you’ve had a conversation, you can ask if they will introduce you to someone who works in the department you are interested in.
Remember, your objective is to speak with people inside companies to learn what it is like to work there. (You are not asking them to find you a job!)
So what do you do if you don’t know anyone inside the company?
You can reach out via email or through LinkedIn and ask someone who works in the role or department you are interested in if they have time for a 15-minute call with you so you can learn about their experience with the company.
Since the person does not know you, the odds are a bit slimmer that they would take time to speak with you. Look for and mention things you have in common such as:
• Cities
• Organizations
• Schools
• Companies
⚙️ REACTIVE OPTION
The second way to get referred happens after you’ve found a job opportunity.
Before you apply, find employees you know. Use your in-person network, LinkedIn, or social media. (Former employees are also a good source of information!)
Always tap into your existing network first when you find a job. Ask the people you know the best steps to take to get referred (and who you can speak with to learn more about the role).
It’s easier and faster to reach out to the people you know and ask them to refer you for the job than to try to build new relationships with employees you do not already know.
I call this the two-step! Try it!
Follow me on Instagram
DID YOU MISS THESE
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Virginia Franco recommended this free extension to help be more efficient. She says “you save all your tabs so you can open them on your desktop with one swift click.”
Their website says it will:
Save open tabs as collections that you can quickly find and restore later
Automatically recover open tabs after a browser or computer crash
Manage tabs and bookmarks with powerful organizational features
Sounds like a real time-saver for job seekers too!
