How to Find Jobs Outside the Corporate World

📢 To everyone in the job market: You’re more than a resume. Searching for jobs is exhausting. The waiting, the rejections, the self-doubt… it can wear you down. But I want to remind you that your value is not measured by how many interviews you land. You bring experience, creativity, resilience, and a unique perspective that no job posting can fully capture. If you feel stuck in your job search, consider stepping outside the traditional apply-and-wait approach. Here are some out-of-the-box, creative ways to stand out: 🔷 Show, Don’t Just Tell  Instead of just listing skills, create something to showcase your expertise. A case study, a mock strategy, a personal website, or even a short video introduction can leave a lasting impression. Visual storytelling is powerful. 🔷 Engage, Don’t Just Apply  Comment on industry leaders’ posts, share insights on LinkedIn, or write about trends in your field. Thoughtful engagement can get you noticed before you apply. 🔷 Pitch Yourself Differently  Consider an interactive presentation, a short project proposal, or a creative storytelling approach that aligns with the company’s mission. Don’t just rely on a traditional cover letter. 🔷 Network Beyond the Obvious  Attend niche virtual meetups, contribute to industry online groups, or start your own professional roundtable discussions. Many opportunities arise from conversations, not job boards. 🔷 Reverse-Engineer Opportunities Identify companies you admire, research their challenges, and reach out with tailored ideas on how you can add value. Use design thinking and product management principles. Initiative speaks volumes, and you don’t have to wait for job postings. 🔷 Reverse Mentorship Offer to mentor someone within your target company, in an area where you have unique expertise. It builds relationships and positions you as a valuable contributor before you're even hired. 🔷 Personalized Impact Reports Instead of just a resume, create a short report outlining the impact you could have on a company based on your skills and research. Quantify your potential contributions. 🔷 Tell an Impactful Story You are not just looking for a job. You are looking for your next opportunity to create impact. Use the STAR method to tell your story about your great work and impact with a clear format about the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Most importantly, keep going. With this intentional approach beyond what's on your resume, you're expanding your surface area of possibilities. New places, new people, an expanded network, a stronger brand about your work ethic and growth mindset... they all increase the likelihood of opportunities. And you’re more likely to find the right role where your skills, passions, and purpose align. What unique strategies have helped you stand out in your career journey? Share below and with someone in your network who is in the job market.

Losing a job often brings financial stress and questions about what’s next. For mission-driven professionals, it can also mean losing your sense of purpose. But meaningful work doesn’t only exist in nonprofits or government agencies. If finding a role with impact is your top priority, career strategist Arianny M. says the key is to reverse engineer your search. ⏪ "If I am somebody who is really devoted to improving maternal care, I know that I'm going to look up 'startups that focus on maternal care,'" she explains. 🔎 Begin by identifying organizations that align with your mission. Then, strategically network and look for opportunities within those organizations. A few more tips to keep in mind throughout your search: 🪜 Start small. A smaller company (like a startup!) may offer more room to lead and make changes within, so don’t limit your search to big-name companies. 🎯 If you’re transitioning away from the public sector, your niche experiences aren’t an impediment to finding work in the private sector — they’re your competitive advantage. What’s the mission driving your job search?

If your career options feel stuck, maybe it’s time to stop ordering off the menu. Let me break it down. Most people approach a job search by: 📋 Scrolling job boards 🤔 Asking friends if they know of any openings 🔎 Reacting to headlines about company growth or layoffs That’s ordering off the menu—choosing from the same options everyone else is already fighting over. Here’s the problem: ❌ 85% of roles are filled through networking (Hubspot) ❌ Only 11.7% of hires come from 1st-degree connections (LinkedIn) So, if you’re sticking to what’s on the menu, you’re playing a game designed for mediocre results. Want something better? Stop looking at the menu and start asking for what you really want. Here’s what happens when you do: 💡 Layoffs = Companies with big, urgent problems to solve. 💡 90% of opportunities live outside your immediate circle. Don’t be a secret. 💡 Engage with people before a job is even posted—you’ll position yourself as the solution before the role exists. So, how do you start cooking up your dream role? 🍳 Leverage LinkedIn like a pro: ➡️ Share insights from your experience that showcase your expertise. ➡️ Comment thoughtfully on posts your target audience cares about. ➡️ Host LinkedIn Lives or events to spark conversations about key market challenges. Bottom line: Stop ordering off the menu and start designing the opportunity you really want. Are you ready to make it happen? 🚀 ♻️ Know someone who needs to hear this? Share it forward!