Networking Archives - The Winding Road

It’s a Side Project, Not a Side Hustle

by Travis L. ScottJuly 14, 2020July 14, 2020

They’re Projects, Not Hustles Recently I’ve been hearing more buzz and conversations around side gigs or “side hustles.” Personally, I hate the term “side hustle,” and I don’t particularly like “side gig” either. Side projects or just projects would be better. As the economy (and world) changes, the way we work will also change. The way companies hire is myopic and transactional. It’s nearly impossible to pivot your career at any point if you feel it’s not going down the path you’d like. Networking, Not Applying Especially if you don’t know anyone working at one of your target companies – …

Should We “Brand” Ourselves Professionally?

by Travis L. ScottJune 2, 2020June 3, 2020

I’ve been thinking a lot about brand marketing, brands, and the concept of personal (or professional) brands. In the past, I’ve ignored branding and brand marketing because I didn’t think I was creative enough to be involved with it. Now I’m starting to realize that branding isn’t about being witty and creative in that way. It’s about crafting a story in a way to shape people’s perception of your products or services. It’s like a guiding hand in helping them form their own stories about your brand. It’s why storytelling is such a valuable skill to have and to practice. …

Changing the Game – Without a Resume

by Travis L. ScottApril 29, 2020April 29, 2020

How can you get noticed without a resume or a LinkedIn profile? If you’re a software engineer and have a LinkedIn profile it’s like throwing bread out to hungry pigeons. It doesn’t take long before the flock of recruiters sending you messages grows and grows and grows. LinkedIn has all kinds of fancy filters that recruiters can use that make discriminating against people pretty easy. Things like filtering results by graduation date making it nearly impossible for older employees to even show up in some search results. That’s why you won’t find my graduation dates anywhere on my LinkedIn profile. …

8 Reasons to Start Networking- Even if You’re Not Looking for Another Role

by Travis L. ScottApril 21, 2020April 21, 2020

If you never visit LinkedIn because you aren’t looking for another role you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to build a strong, intentional network that will pay dividends well into the future. Making the right connections is, in my opinion, more important than what you know at any given time. Back when I was a corporate recruiter, LinkedIn was an integral part of my day. I spent more time on LinkedIn than anything else throughout the day. It’s been nearly five years (I was actually shocked when I realized how long it’s been) since I’ve done any recruiting on …

My Promise: To Become a Power Connector During This Crisis

by Travis L. ScottMarch 30, 2020

I’ve been wracking my brain over the past week about how I can help people during this time of crisis. I’m fortunate to have a job and work for a company that is in a good financial position to weather this storm- at least for some time. As I hear about those who have gone from a seemingly secure job to no job overnight, I can’t help but think about how difficult that has to be. It seems as though more companies are laying people off than are hiring, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop trying, give up, …

Career Survival: Staying Active When Things Feel Hopeless

by Travis L. ScottMarch 30, 2020March 30, 2020

Things are challenging for a lot of people right now. Seemingly overnight they went from being in a role with job security to being laid off. It’s crazy. They’re now in survival mode. On the phone with their lenders and their local unemployment office. Focusing on their career has turned into focusing on finding a job. Just about any job. Finding a job in an environment in which no one is hiring. Overnight, some of us have dropped several rungs in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. You may have been focusing on self-actualization and now you’re wholly concerned about safety. Even …

You Only Have to Matter to One

by Travis L. ScottSeptember 4, 2019September 5, 2019

Photo by Matthew Bennett on Unsplash It’s About Who You Know When you’re looking for a new role it can be a discouraging process. You apply and apply to all of these roles you think you’re a perfect fit. Then it’s crickets. Nothing. The reality is you only need to matter to one company- and a lot of times just one person. The person that will be your manager or that person’s manager. Of course, it can vary. Larger companies have more layers, so naturally, their hiring process does as well. This is why building relationships with people over time …