No BS Career Advice: September 7, 2025

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” —Lucille Ball

Next week’s issue will be a little shorter than usual. I’ll be in Florida to see my brother, who is not doing well. I’ll set it up for release on Sunday, but with fewer links than usual.

I don’t have to tell you how hard the job market is. The government data reflects it. Layoffs are still occurring, yet people are getting interviews and are landing jobs despite the gloomy conditions. They are in many fields doing different types of work. You as LinkedIn users are experiencing the brunt of the tough conditions.

I want to remind you of one thing–you just need one firm to choose you.

The Psychology of Professional Networking

Before we dive into tactics, you need to understand why networking works and why most people avoid it. There’s a psychological barrier that prevents otherwise intelligent professionals from leveraging their most valuable asset: the belief that networking is somehow unseemly or manipulative.

This mindset is career suicide.

Networking isn’t about using people—it’s about building mutually beneficial relationships. When done correctly, you’re not taking from your network; you’re contributing to it. You’re sharing information, making introductions, offering insights, and creating value for others while they do the same for you.

I coached a brilliant engineer who was convinced that networking was “fake” and that his work should speak for itself. After six months of failed applications, he reluctantly agreed to try a different approach. Within three weeks of strategic networking, he had coffee meetings set up with engineering leaders at five companies. Two of those conversations led to interviews, and one resulted in an offer.

What changed his perspective wasn’t just the results—it was realizing that these conversations were genuinely valuable for everyone involved. He shared insights about emerging technologies, learned about industry challenges he hadn’t considered, and built relationships that continued long after his job search ended.

The most successful professionals understand that networking is simply how business gets done. It’s how information flows, how opportunities are identified, and how trust is built. When you opt out of networking, you’re opting out of the primary mechanism through which careers are built.

The Network Audit: Mapping Your Hidden Assets

Most job seekers dramatically underestimate the size and power of their existing network. They think networking means reaching out to strangers at industry events, when in reality, their most valuable connections are people they already know but haven’t spoken to recently.

Start with what I call a “network audit”—a systematic inventory of every professional relationship you’ve built throughout your career. This goes far beyond your LinkedIn connections or phone contacts. You need to think comprehensively about every person who has context for your professional capabilities.

Professional Relationships:

• Current and former colleagues at every level

• Managers and executives you’ve worked under

• People who have reported to you

• Cross-functional partners from other departments

• Clients and customers you’ve served

• Vendors and service providers you’ve worked with

• Consultants and contractors who’ve worked on your projects

Educational and Development Networks:

• College and graduate school classmates

• Professors and academic advisors

• Alumni from leadership programs

• Professional development course participants

• Industry certification programs

• Company training initiatives

Industry and Association Connections:

• Professional association members

• Conference speakers and attendees

• Industry event participants

• Trade publication contributors

• Webinar hosts and participants

• LinkedIn group members in your field

Extended Professional Network:

• Friends’ professional contacts

• Family members’ business connections

• Neighbors who work in relevant industries

• Parents from your children’s activities who are professionals

• Community organization volunteers in business roles

One of my clients, a finance professional, initially claimed he “didn’t really know anyone” in his target industry. After completing a thorough network audit, we identified over 400 people who had professional context for his work. More importantly, we found 47 people currently working at companies he wanted to target.

The revelation was transformative. He wasn’t starting from zero—he was sitting on a goldmine of relationships that just needed to be reactivated.

Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2025  

This article is excerpted from my next book. I won’t mention the title yet. It will be released later this year.

Last week, I released a lot of new content in my blog. It includes:

What’s My Problem? What Am I Doing Wrong? https://wp.me/p4aIk1-oh

The No Desperation Way to Show You’re Open to Work on LinkedIn  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nH0

Beyond Job Loss: Thriving in Your Career Transition  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nEC

The Career-Change Journey: Part 1  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-d55

Could You Have Done Better in Your Last Job? https://youtu.be/dAU5TAdcYvY

How Do You Show Customer Obsession?  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-lWZ

Blame https://wp.me/p4aIk1-8qp

Interview Red Flags: The Interview Is Too Easy  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-lXf

Every Day is Like Baseball  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-gKB

Career Lessons from Tom Brady https://wp.me/p4aIk1-8r7

The Career-Change Journey: Part 2 https://wp.me/p4aIk1-dq2

Ace Your Next Interview with These Pro Tips  https://youtu.be/tKz_xxceihw

Why Recruiters Don’t Tell You Who Their Client Is https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nHv

No One is Listening https://wp.me/p4aIk1-8rj

Success Usually Comes  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-gvt  

Why Do Interviews Die? That Sinking Feeling and How to Avoid It.  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-kht

The Career-Change Journey: Part 3 https://wp.me/p4aIk1-dyX

Find Jobs Your LinkedIn Connections Can Refer You To https://youtu.be/E51o3RB9lXo

Can They Track Your Resume? (The TRUTH Revealed!)  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nHE

No BS Career Advice: August 31, 2025  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nHJ

The One Minute Reset After a Job Search Rejection  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nHo

The Myth of The Passive Job Candidate Exposed https://wp.me/p4aIk1-af

Interviewing Is Little Better Than Flipping A Coin  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-6YA

A Hidden Trap in Your Executive Job Offer https://youtu.be/_oui6BnjUl4

Don’t Say You’re Job Hunting? Is That Right?  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nHN

A Hidden Trap in Your Executive Job Offer  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nIq

What Do You Do If an Interviewer Seems Disinterested?  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nIw

The Two Magic Words to Use in an Interview & The Story Behind The Story  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-1UW

A Promotion Isn’t Owed To You  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nIX

Dealing With a Bruised Ego  https://youtu.be/u3Ao1uXRuYc

Tell Your Boss Your Next Job? (Keep It Private!)  https://youtube.com/shorts/1EuiSl5Ys20  

What is Job Search Networking? https://wp.me/p4aIk1-lXm

Don’t Act Like a Politician on Job Interviews  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nIF

So Why Should I Hire You?  htthttps://wp.me/p4aIk1-5Pu 

https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nId  https://wp.me/p4aIk1-nId  

Reverse the Search: Turn Job Seeking into Job Shopping  https://youtu.be/u3Ao1uXRuYc

Schedule a free discovery call with me at www.TheBigGameHunter.us/schedule to discuss my coaching you. My calendar has gotten full. I work with more senior-level talent than with individual contributors.

Subscribe to No BS Job Search Advice Radio in Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to or watch podcasts. Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday I release new episodes.

Become an Insider at JobSearch.Community and have your questions answered, receive coaching from me, plus access to all my video courses, books, and guides.

#BeGreat

Jeff Altman

The Game Hunter

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