Thread by @austinbelcak

I applied to 300+ jobs in 2013.

Got rejected from all of them.

Two years later, I was in final rounds at Microsoft, Google, & Twitter.

The result?

An offer from Microsoft with a $70k+ raise.

Here’s a🧵 with the 9 steps I used to make it happen. ↓

1/ Understand Who Companies *Really* Hire

I used to think the most qualified candidate got the job.

That's not true.

Companies don't hire the most qualified candidate.

They hire the person they believe will deliver the most value.

My new goal?

Be that person.

2/ Choose 15 Target Companies

To illustrate value, I had to narrow my focus.

I stopped applying to random jobs online.

Instead, I made a list of 15 target companies.

Then I aimed to learn everything I could about:

- Their goals
- Their challenges
- Their major initiatives

3/ Find 150 Prospects

I knew I needed a referral.

An internal advocate would help me skip the line and maximize my value.

So I made a list of 10 contacts at each company.

I aimed for potential hiring managers and teammates.

10 contacts * 15 companies = 150 total contacts.

4/ Start Making Contact

I didn't ask for a referral up front.

I made my initial outreach about the other person:

- I engaged with their content
- Recognized career transitions
- Asked for advice and followed up with results

After a few touch points, I asked for a call.

5/ Identify Opportunities For Value

I used these calls to perform discovery.

I'd ask my contacts about:

- Their journeys
- The biggest challenge their team is facing
- The six month goals for their team

I'd look for any opportunity where I could illustrate tangible value.

6/ Research, Research, Research

With my potential opportunity in hand, I'd start researching.

My favorite tactics were:

- Surveying customers / prospects
- Performing competitive analyses
- Gathering credible industry data

Then I'd prepare my pitch.

7/ Crafting A Pitch Deck

I packaged my pitch in a short slide deck:

I introduced the problem / opportunity.

I backed it up with industry data.

I shared 2-3 ideas or solutions with an execution plan.

Then I sent the deck to my contact and asked for a referral.

8/ Examples of Ideas

For Google, I created a personalized pitch strategy for a potential client.

For Twitter, I shared 5 ideas for monetizing their existing audience.

For Microsoft, I surveyed SMBs and turned the feedback into a strategy to help Microsoft Ads reach more SMBs.

9/ Referral + Value = Opportunities

Now I was walking into interviews with 2 things:

1. A referral from an internal advocate

2. A clear, tangible illustration of my value that directly related to the company's goals

The focus was on that, not my non-traditional background.

10/ Landing The Offer

At the end, Microsoft extended an offer.

I officially became a Partner Manager at Microsoft Ads.

That job took my total comp from $70k / year → $130k / year.

All without “traditional” experience and without applying online.

11/ Want More Advice Like This?

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Hopefully we'll see you back here next week 🤙