Take a Pause to Reset, Rewire, and Refresh

PLUS: Resources for your job search and LinkedIn, how to negotiate salary, networking advice everyone needs and more!

Author

Hannah Morgan
June 29, 2025

Welcome to Career Essentials, where I share actionable insights and curated articles that will help accelerate your career and supercharge your job search.

Take a Pause to Reset, Rewire, and Refresh

I am on my way to a week in Vermont with friends and family, and I am looking forward to taking this time to refresh and reprogram

When was the last time you truly unplugged? No email, no texts, no electronic devices? Just you and the people who surround you!

With life running 100 miles per hour (or faster), it is so easy to accept the norm and rev into high speed.  But try to stop. It is hard. It is really, really hard, especially with the ease of access to technology.

What happens when we unplug? It will force me to focus on the here and now. It will require me to engage in face-to-face conversations with little opportunity to tune out. 

This is where the reprogramming comes in.

When we have to step away from the norm, it serves as a reminder that we’ve become too comfortable where we are.

This can only happen when we allow ourselves to be exposed to new ways of thinking or different sets of people we don’t normally associate with.

You may be thinking that this is unnecessary. I’ll argue the opposite. It is incredibly necessary. Especially now, during job search. When you expose yourself to new people, new ideas, and new ways of doing things, it’s sort of like beginning to work outt. Those muscles hurt the next day, and the next, and the next. Until finally you don’t hurt and instead becoming stronger.

When you start a new job, it will force you into a zone of un-comfort and you’ll be surrounded with new ways of thinking. All this will be easier to adapt to if you begin stretching today.

As you begin this new week, how will you refresh and reprogram yourself?

When will you unplug and for how long?

What new set of patterns will you stretch your mind to process?

There will not be a Career Essentials next Sunday, July 6. Enjoy your 4th of July holiday and see you on the 13th, if not before! 

The question everyone asks… do I really need to customize my resume for every job? The answer is usually YES! This article contains insights and logic from job search and hiring experts. The secret to making this easier is having a “master resume” as your starting point. It’s easier to remove information that isn’t relevant than to create new bullets for different jobs. Please, just invest the time to make sure your resume addresses the qualifications requested in the job posting! 

Job Scams: Warnings And Tips From A Cybersecurity Expert - Mark Anthony Dyson, The Job Scam Report

We all need to stay updated on scams. Whether it’s that phony text message or LinkedIn InMail or email, we have to remain vigilant. Mark interviews Lance Spitzner,  Workforce of Cybersecurity at SANS Institute to address what to be on the lookout for. 

Free Tools to Start Your Job Search - Lisa Rangel, Chameleon Resumes

If you don’t know Lisa and Chameleon Resumes, you should. She’s been a long-time favorite and friend of mine and she’s offering her job search resources at no cost right now. Lisa is a former recruiter and keeps in touch with recruiting trends to deliver up-to-date advice and tips. She’s in your corner! 

🤝 NETWORKING

Too often, job seekers think wider and broader is better. They blast everyone on their email list, attend networking events, and then wonder why it’s not working. This post addresses why, especially for introverts, this spray-and-pray strategy doesn’t work. And if you want to hear more networking Q&A, there’s a recording to a LinkedIn Live Greg recently hosted.

💻 LINKEDIN

In her LinkedIn post, Alison lists 8 resources to help you use LinkedIn smarter. (I was thrilled to see she listed my article). There are so many things LinkedIn can do, the power is in your hands if you know how to fully utilize it!  

🗨 INTERVIEWING

Don’t take a low offer personally. It’s becoming more common for employers to start lower than what they can offer. Learn exactly what to say to sound appreciative yet collaborative. There’s exact wording and logic to keep the offer on the table. 

Allow me to warn you up front, the full article is only available to paid subscribers, but you do get one free view of paid content, so this is worth viewing! 

Almost every job seeker wants to know why they didn’t make it to the next level in the process. This lays out the 6 common reasons. But the key point is understanding if you are being seen as a risk. 

⚙ AI

Kelli dives deeper than the initial ResumeGenius report/article click-baity titled, “40% of Gen Z men are using AI to cheat at work” and the conversation in the comments is really what we should be talking about - is using AI “cheating”, why more men than women, what does this forshadow? Which companies will define work standards around the use of AI?

EVENTS

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET EACH WEEK

  • 5 actionable job search goals to move you forward

  • Step-by-step instructions so you never feel stuck

  • Ready-to-use templates, samples, and checklists

  • 30-minute group check-in call on Zoom for accountability and support

  • Delivered straight to your inbox, every Monday

August 4, 11, 18, 25, September 2
Check-in calls are at 12pm ET
$39 for all 5 weeks

JOB SEARCH VISUAL

Here’s How To Interview Smarter and Make It To The Next Round

Instead of just answering questions, flip the script—interview like a consultant. 💬

That means asking questions to uncover what the company really needs help with. This approach shows confidence, curiosity, and critical thinking.

Swipe through for a list of strategic questions (inspired by recruiter Steve Levy) that help you dig deeper and position yourself as the right solution.

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