Job hunting: organize who can help
See your network by who can open a door, not just who you know, and keep the people helping you updated.
A search run entirely out of your head or a spreadsheet loses the two things that actually matter: who has relevant expertise, and where each conversation stands. Here's a lighter way to track both.
Why it matters
Most people either blast their whole network at once, which nobody reads carefully, or don't ask at all, which helps nobody. A short, specific ask to the right handful of people works better than either. Seeing your network by who can actually help, not just who you know, is what makes that possible.
How it works
Three pieces working together. A sphere for the search itself, who's involved, who's actively helping. Expertise tags so "who do I know in this industry" is a filter, not a guessing game. A Pipeline if you're tracking actual applications or conversations through real stages.
How to do it
- Create a sphere for the search to track who's actively helping you — Create your spheres.
- Tag people by expertise or industry, so "who do I know at this kind of company" becomes a filter instead of a memory exercise — Tag and categorize.
- If you're tracking actual roles or conversations through stages, build a Pipeline — Pipelines.
- Ask for warm introductions where you can, instead of cold applications — Introductions keeps it double opt-in on both sides, so nobody feels put on the spot.
- Set a reminder to update the people helping you, every couple of weeks, even with "no news yet" — Reminders. Silence is what makes people stop offering to help.
What good looks like
A short, real list of who's actively helping. Expertise tags that make "who do I ask about this" instant instead of a scroll through old emails. The people helping you actually hearing from you on a rhythm, not just when you need something else.
If you fell off
You asked five people for help three weeks ago and haven't updated any of them. Completely normal, a search is exhausting on its own, and updates feel like one more task on top of it. Send one short "still looking, here's where things stand" note to everyone helping. It costs five minutes and it's the single thing that keeps people willing to keep helping.