Ok, this is how we survive...
Things are going to get worse before they get better.
What is this? Rocketship Jobs is an exclusive news newsletter, built for ambitious job hunters. Every week we spend hours reviewing the market of fast growing, high potential companies, distill that information and send out an announcement of a great place to work. The goal of this is help people find jobs that will help them make a lot of money (earn equity), learn a lot and allow them to live the lives they want!
Each email is structured to focus on the details that matter most to you. No journalism jargon, no marketing copy. Just the information you need to start applying immediately.
Forwarded this Letter? ✅ Sign up here.Like this Letter? Please share below with your coworkers, friends and family!
I just listened to a podcast and they said “most companies today will have fewer employees at the end of Q2”
I believe this…. and although this is a newsletter about jobs, I think its also my responsibility to help people think about the economy as a whole at this time.
Restaurant workers are being laid off, event coordinators, marketing professionals and probably many more people before this is over!
We are officially in a recession and who knows when things are going to get better.
That said, there is no time for pouting, only time for action!
It’s time to prepare.
When it comes to getting jobs we have all heard the saying,
“It’s not what you know, its’ who you know.”
Many people get discouraged when they hear this because they don’t think they have the right connections.
I understand but at the same time… again, no time to pout, only time for action!
We live in a world where knowing the right people is accessible to everyone.
The internet has made the world smaller than ever and using it to your advantage may be your saving grace god forbid anything bad happens to your job during this pandemic, recession, depression or whatever happens.
Below are a few thing I have done over the years to ensure even if I’m not looking for a job I have someone that is always willing to hire me.
Utilize Social Media.
People underestimate the power of Twitter.
Everyone is on it from the President of the United States to Elon Musk!
It’s a lot of fun to make jokes but it’s also a great place to meet people that can change your life.
If you don’t have a Twitter account, you should make one.
If you do have one, heres what to do:
Follow and start interacting with people in your industry.
This doesn’t mean only the top people with 500,000 followers but also people currently on your level or one level up.
Don’t worry if they follow you back or not.
Think of Twitter like a dinner party, just start making insightful statements and people will eventually get it.
The people you really connect with, follow them on other social media platforms.
Don’t be a creep, do it when it makes sense, don’t just start Googling around to follow people everywhere.
If you start having conversations in the DMs you’re pretty much friends, no?
This means you have begun to reach the place you need to be to actually know people in the right spots.
Be yourself on Twitter.
Every communication doesn’t need to be business.
I act a fool on Twitter.
I do that because that is also how I am in person.
I like to have fun.
Feel free to have fun on Twitter as well.
As I said, you want to build real relationships and friendships not just potential transactions.
I just mentioned Twitter above but this can also be done very effectively on LinkedIn.
Even more so in many cases.
Create a Podcast.
Look, I know everyone when they start a podcast wants to be the next Joe Budden podcast or Joe Rogan (what is it with the name Joe?) but let’s be honest for most people that is not going to happen.
That said, podcasts can still be a great resource for building your network in your field.
Don’t look at the podcast as how many listens you can get, in this case, that’s not important.
Use your podcast as a networking tool.
Is there someone that you would like to meet? Have them on your podcast as a guest.
There is a mutual benefit, you get to meet someone you’ve wanted to meet and they get to introduce themselves to your audience.
That can be the beginning of a long friendship with someone that has similar interests and potentially a career you would like to emulate.
Host events around your interests!
Think about it, the people that are at your events are the people that can change your life.
When I was in Boston I started a Young Black Professionals Meetup group.
That is how I met pretty much all of my friends when I lived there.
The group grew to over 2000 people and continues to grow.
The reason I started it was to make friends and I can definitely say, mission accomplished!
If I started the group with the goal of becoming a movie director, for example, I would have approached it differently.
Maybe started a Creatives of New Jersey Meetup or a Actors of New Jersey Meetup.
The key is to think about the kind of people you want to meet then create the event around that!
There are plenty of tools out there to make this easier as well.
Meetup.com was my tool of choice but there is also Eventbrite and I am sure many more.
Let me be the first to say, this will take time!
You won’t make the connections you want in the first day and maybe not the first month of following these directions.
The key is to do something you enjoy so you can put in the time required.
Also, remember just because you don’t need these connections now doesn’t mean you won’t need them in the future.
Think about creating these relationships for the long term.
You may like your job now but who knows how things shake out with this economy.
Be proactive, create the network you wish you were born with!
Ok, thats it for now, as always, stay safe, wash your hands, stay six feet away from everyone and share this with your friends 🙃
Talk to you again soon
Who runs this site? I love the analysis. I’m a startup investor for twelve years and would love to chat. I seed funded Lyft, Postmates, Twitter, wish, gusto , Airbnb and many more. Hit me up paige@arenavc.com