Hello Everyone & Happy Tuesday!

We hope everyone had a nice long weekend. Now, it’s time to dive right back in. Just because it’s a short week doesn’t mean it can’t be a productive one. Enjoy!

If you're hitting "submit" on job applications and then just...waiting? You're playing a game that's already rigged against you.

I've been a career coach for over 20 years, and I can say without hesitation that this is the most competitive job market I have ever seen. We're talking hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applicants flooding in within 24 hours of a single job posting going live. And a huge chunk of those? They're AI-generated resumes, mass-customized and fired off in bulk, absolutely stuffing recruiters' inboxes. Recruiters are overwhelmed. They physically cannot review every application. So the hard truth is this: if you apply and do nothing else, your odds of getting a phone call are basically zero.

That's not me being harsh. That's just the reality of the current landscape. And once you really get that, you'll understand why backchanneling is the single most important job search skill you can have right now.

Think of the online application portal like a major highway during rush hour. It doesn't matter if you're driving a Lamborghini or a beat-up Hyundai; nobody's going anywhere. The lane is completely gridlocked. Backchanneling is simply finding an alternative route. A side road that gets you to the destination while everyone else is stuck bumper to bumper.

The "back channel" here is LinkedIn. And the process is more straightforward than most people think.

Once you've submitted an application, go to the company's LinkedIn page. Look up people who work in the department where your target role lives—not HR, not a recruiter, but actual team members in that function. Your goal is to reach out to at least five people.

Why five? Because averages. Not everyone is active on LinkedIn. Not everyone will see your request right away. Five outreaches take maybe 15 minutes of your time, and it dramatically improves the odds that at least one person connects with you.

When you hit "Connect," add a note. Keep it short and genuine: I'm a big fan of your company because [specific reason]. I'd love to connect. I have a quick question about the XYZ role. That's it. No essays, no begging, no desperation. Just a warm, human introduction.

This is where the magic kicks in. Once they accept, you message them. Thank them for connecting, mention you're a fan of the company, tell them you applied to the role, and then ask them one simple question: What's your one piece of advice for standing out and earning an interview? Is there something you did, or that you've seen work, that you think could help someone in my position?

Notice I said "earn" an interview, not "get" one, not "land" one. The language matters. You're not asking them to do you a favor or get you hired. You're asking for wisdom. That's a very different energy, and people respond to it.

Here's what actually happens next: they look at your LinkedIn profile. And if your profile is solid, optimized, compelling, and clearly articulating who you are and the value you bring, they will often forward you directly to the hiring manager. Companies right now are hungry for candidates who show initiative. The person who thoughtfully reaches out and has a great profile? That hiring manager is going to tell a recruiter to pull that application out of the pile. I've seen this happen with my own clients, including people who received an automatic rejection and still got interviews after backchanneling. Yes, really.

I have to be real with you: backchanneling only works if your LinkedIn profile is doing its job. If someone clicks on your profile and it's sparse, generic, or unclear about what you actually bring to the table, none of this outreach will matter. The profile is the foundation. Everything else builds on top of it.

At Work It DAILY, we teach this exact process. We have full courses, events, templates, and everything you need to execute this strategy with confidence. And our career coaches will do a complete review of your LinkedIn profile, so that when someone clicks on your profile after your outreach, they like what they see.

If you're serious about cutting through the noise in this job market, join Work It DAILY and let us build a complete job search strategy with you, one that actually works in 2026. 

Go get ‘em!

J.T. O’Donnell

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This isn’t about going viral—it’s about getting visible to the people who matter most. If you're ready to future-proof your career and finally earn what you’re worth, this book is your roadmap.