This post originally appeared as issue 120 of the Daily Job Hunt email. Sign up for kick-butt career hype in your inbox each morning.

Having Few Skills is a Secret Weapon

Your low opportunity cost is a secret weapon.

Opportunity cost is the value of the next best activity you could be doing. An unskilled 18-year-old has a very low opportunity cost. That means they can overcome their lack of skill and experience by using this secret weapon.

Early in your career, almost everyone has a higher opportunity cost than you. If you can find low-value activities that high-value people are doing, you can offer to take those on and free them up. Even if you’re not that great at them, they may bite.

Imagine a busy CEO who needs to schedule his travel. You could offer to do that for him. And he might say yes because he has better things to do!

Take advantage and pitch people and companies to get your foot in the door.

See more about opportunity cost.


Always Follow Up When You Pitch a Job

Following up ISN’T annoying. It shows you’re super interested in THAT role.

So after you email your pitch for the Marketing Manager Role at Composable Finance (here’s the job posting, btw, and here’s how to find the hiring manager), you’re not done.

Even if you don’t get a response, email back every 2 days until you do. Other tips:

  • Keep the follow ups short
  • Send another “gift” like a blog post or 30-day action plan
  • Ask for a 15 minute preliminary call
  • Draw from this email follow up template for inspiration
  • Use Twitter and LinkedIn channels too. You can also post your pitch publicly and make your job hunt a marketing campaign!

Go get it!


Meme of the Day