- Career Essentials
- Posts
- You Can’t Catch Anything If Your Line Isn’t in the Water
You Can’t Catch Anything If Your Line Isn’t in the Water
Plus resources, malarkey, FAQs and more!
Hannah Morgan
May 04, 2025
Welcome to Career Essentials, where I share actionable insights and curated articles that will help accelerate your career and supercharge your job search.
You Can’t Catch Anything If Your Line Isn’t in the Water
I loved to fish when I was younger, there would be times I didn’t put my line in the water because I was afraid of what I might catch.
It was a big lake and there were big fish in there.
Yes, every angler’s dream is to land a jumbo fish, but I was still afraid. What if it was too big? What if it had huge teeth?
My fears stopped me from putting my line in the water.
I can hear my dad’s voice now
you can’t catch any fish if your line isn’t in the water!”
So what does having your line in the water mean for a job seeker? It means you are doing all of these things:
Applying for jobs when you meet more than 60% of the stated qualifications
Posting your resume on job boards
Entertaining opportunities presented by 3rd party recruiters
Reaching out to recruiters
Monitoring target company job boards
Networking with everyone you know (and even those you don’t)
Volunteering
Taking care of yourself mentally and physically
If you aren’t doing ALL these things then you don’t have your line in the water and you are likely to miss out on opportunities.
Having choices is better than feeling like you don’t have any options.
What will you do to ensure you have options during your job search?
🔎 JOB SEARCH
5 Days of Freebies - Adrienne Tom
In case you don’t follow Adrienne on LinkedIn, you may have missed the free resources she shared this week: Follow Adrienne Tom!
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘆 - Bob McIntosh
Have you seen this ad or similar ones?
“I HATE LINKEDIN
For the past three years, all I've been doing is collecting recommendations, posting updates, applying to jobs, and studying hundreds of guides on "how to find a job on LinkedIn" - but I haven't received a single job offer. Then I found JobHire[dot]AI—a service that lands a job in 30 days, tailors your resume to job openings, sends personalized applications, and auto-applies to hundreds of jobs. Now, the job search runs without me.”
Bob sets the record straight on tools like JobHire[dot]ai. He also includes Thomas Powner’s first-hand experience using this “tool.” Don’t be lured into “too-good-to-be-true” scams.
30 Key Executive Job Search FAQs - Meg Guiseppi
You know those questions you have about your job search? Well, Meg has answers for you. Do you wonder how to address gaps on your resume, why you aren’t getting interviews, or what to do if you don’t like networking? These and 27 more common questions are answered.
A Better Way To Message Hiring Managers On LinkedIn - Jessica Hernandez
“Cold outreach to strangers. It simply doesn't work anymore.” You know this because you’ve tried and your message got ignored. Try this instead:
Focus on people who already know, like and trust you
Keep messages short for a better response rate
Send your message early in the morning
Re-establish your connection before asking for anything
Use warm connections over cold outreach
🔮 WORKFORCE
2025: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born | Microsoft Work Trend Annual Report
Microsoft's future of work forecast combines data from 31,000 global survey respondents with LinkedIn trends, Microsoft 365 productivity signals, and expert interviews from academia, economics, and the AI industry.
AI is poised to touch the lives of every worker. See what the blue-print looks like so you can start tapping into the power of AI now!
💰 CAREER
The Essential Role of Average Performing Employees in Boosting Team Success | Small Business Trends
Written for managers, this article looks at how to manage average employees. You don’t need to be an A-player to add value to your company. In fact, what you bring to the organization is: reliability, consistency, moderate engagement, and effective collaboration. The take-away is that as an average-performing employee, you will NEED to have a conversation with your boss to ensure they know the value you bring.
EVENTS
There are still openings in the challenge that kicks off on Monday.
If you are looking for concrete actions to take your job search to the next level and you want a weekly check-in call, sign up today! Really, today!
JOB SEARCH VISUAL
Plan B Isn’t Giving Up.
💥 Still job searching with no luck? It might be time for Plan B. 💥
If you’ve been out of work for months, rejection and silence can wear you down. But here’s the truth: any job can give you purpose, income, and a renewed sense of momentum.
That’s what Plan B is all about—getting you unstuck. 🚀
Start by asking:
👉 What do I love to do?
👉 What lit me up as a kid?
👉 What was my dream job?
Don’t filter your answers. Just brainstorm.
Then, talk to a trusted (non-judgy) friend. Ask:
💡 “Do you know anyone hiring?”
💡 “Who owns a business I could talk to?”
💡 “Can you help me think through creative ideas?”
When you find something interesting, skip the resume.
Walk in or call. Be real.
“I love what you do here. I’d be proud to be part of your team. Need a hand?”
Right now, restaurants, landscaping, camps, hotels, and call centers are hiring. They want reliable people who show up. That could be you. 👊
This isn’t settling. It’s starting again—with purpose.
Try it. Then tell me how it goes. I want to hear your wins. 🙌
