No BS Career Advice: September 27 2026

It was a very busy week professionally (again) with lots of sessions and quite a few webinars. I skipped my Monday men’s group to watch the Giants football game only to see them lose their starting quarterback early in the game and be beaten up by our opponent.

And today is the second anniversary of Hurricane Helene rolling through Asheville and destroying our infrastructure and so much property. We were fortunate — I had anew roof put on our house two years before that stood up to the storm and a basement pump system on a battery backup that lasted for the 24 hours the heavy rains occured. We were lucky. I know too many others who weren’t.

I have a new book coming out later this week on LinkedIn profile optimization. Please keep an eye out for its release.

4 Micro-Actions to Create More Job Leads

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

A big trap in a career transition is believing that progress is measured by hours spent in front of a screen. Most professionals put off taking proactive steps because they think they need an open afternoon to overhaul their resume yet again, draft lengthy outreach letters, or fill out more applications.

The delay they incur breeds inaction, and inaction kills momentum.

I keep saying it, but it’s true — high-yielding job searches are not powered by exhausting weekend application marathons. They are built through surgical, 15-minute micro-actions deployed consistently during the small gaps in your calendar. By stripping away administrative noise, you can unearth unlisted initiatives, reactivate high-value connections, and force decision-makers to take notice.

Here are four brand-new 15-minute executions to add to your daily pipeline strategy.

1. Reverse-Engineer “Alumni at Vendor Partners” (15 Minutes)

When your target enterprise uses complex software suites, cloud providers, or specialized agencies, those third-party vendors deploy dedicated account managers and solutions engineers to work alongside internal leads every day. Alumni working at those vendor firms know exactly which projects are active, which teams are expanding, and where operational bottlenecks exist at your target company.

Spend 15 minutes finding these strategic connectors:

Search LinkedIn for your target company’s core software vendors (e.g., Salesforce, Snowflake, Workday, or AWS).
Filter employees at that vendor firm by your University Alumni network.
Identify an account lead or consultant managing enterprise clients in your target industry and deploy a quick peer note:

“Hi [Name], I noticed you’re leading enterprise client initiatives over at [Vendor Firm] after graduating from [University]. I’m currently evaluating leadership moves in the [Target Industry] space, specifically tracking operations at companies like [Target Firm]. Would love to connect with a fellow alum who has a pulse on how scaling teams in our domain are optimizing their platforms this year.”

2. Mine “Quarterly Webinar & Keynote Q&A Transcripts” (15 Minutes)

When senior VPs and Department Heads speak at industry conferences or host vendor webinars, they routinely share candid operational challenges, upcoming technology pivots, and team expansion targets during the Q&A segment.

You don’t need to sit through an hour-long recording. Spend 15 minutes pulling the auto-generated transcript or show notes from a recent industry panel featuring a target executive.

Search the text for words like “challenge,” “friction,” “scaling,” or “next quarter.” Isolate one specific pain point mentioned by the executive, then reach out directly on LinkedIn:

“Caught your panel discussion at [Conference Name], [Name]. Your observation regarding the friction of maintaining real-time reporting during phase-two database migrations was spot-on. Having navigated that exact reporting lag at my previous firm, I put together a quick 1-page risk framework on how we protected pipeline visibility. Let me know if you’d like me to pass it over to your team.”

3. Deploy the “Alumni Board / Advisory Committee” Hook (10 Minutes)

Reaching out to busy executives via cold outreach often yields low response rates, but contacting senior leaders who serve on your university’s Department Advisory Boards or Industry Committees provides an immediate, high-intent conversational bridge. These individuals have explicitly raised their hands to mentor and support their academic community.

Spend 10 minutes locating an advisory board member via your university department’s official page or LinkedIn:

“Hi [Name], I saw that you serve on the [University Name] [Department] Advisory Board while leading the team at [Target Company]. As a fellow alum mapping out my next senior move in [Domain], I deeply appreciate your work supporting the program. I’m actively tracking [Target Company]’s growth and would welcome a brief 5-minute prospective chat on how your team is navigating current shifts in our sector.”

4. Execute a “Skills Section Endorsement Swap” (5 Minutes)

Recruiter search engines (like LinkedIn Recruiter) rank profiles based on the keyword match density of structured backend fields. Having verified endorsements on your top three target skills increases your profile’s algorithmic authority when recruiters run automated talent queries.

Spend 5 minutes executing a quick calibration:

Navigate to your Skills section and ensure your top three pinned skills match the exact terminology used in job descriptions for your next target level (e.g., “Revenue Operations,” “P&L Management,” or “Enterprise Cloud Architecture”).
Reach out to two former close colleagues with a direct 1-sentence request:

“Hi [Name], I’m recalibrating my profile for an upcoming career move. If you have 60 seconds, would you mind endorsing my ‘Operations Strategy’ skill? Happy to return the favor on your top skills as well.”

The Bottom Line

Sustainable career moves are built on compounding daily execution, not sporadic application sprees. Pick one surgical 15-minute micro-action every morning, execute it cleanly, and force the market to bring high-value opportunities straight to you.

This week I released a number of new blog posts including:

Pretend I’m 8. Explain to Me What You Do & Why You’re Good at It Excerpt: This is a fun question designed to help you demonstrate that you’re a good communicator Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/pretend-im-8-explain-to-me-what-you-do-why-youre-good-at-it/

Strategic Interview Questions to Ask Excerpt: Learn how to turn the “Do you have any questions for us?” moment into a high-impact investigation that ensures you’re joining a winning team, and not walk into a trap. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/strategic-interview-questions-to-ask/

LinkedIn May Be Dull and Boring #shorts Excerpt: AND if you are starting your career, their big reasons why you should join. Here is one. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/linkedin-may-be-dull-and-boring-shorts/

No BS Career Advice: September 20 2026 Excerpt: No BS Career Advice offers help with job search, job hunting, career advice, Interviewing, salary negotiation, resumes, and more. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/no-bs-career-advice-september-20-2026/

Filler Words #shorts Excerpt: Filler words really hurt you on interviews. There’s a place that you can work on correcting yourself where you will get support. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/filler-words-shorts/

How to Land Advisory Roles Without the BS Excerpt: Most people think landing a board seat or an advisory gig is some mystical process reserved for retired CEOs who play golf at the right country clubs. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/how-to-land-advisory-roles-without-the-bs/

The Biggest Networking Mistake #shorts Excerpt: According to research, this is the biggest networking mistake people make. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/the-biggest-networking-mistake-shorts/

The Mindset of a Forward Deployed Engineer Excerpt: This breakdown exposes how Forward Deployed Engineers operate on the frontlines to fix broken workflows, prevent catastrophic system failure, and salvage enterprise execution. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/the-mindset-of-a-forward-deployed-engineer/

Begging for a Job #shorts Excerpt: Oh, man! I feel your pain and . . . Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/begging-for-a-job-shorts/

Should I Say I’m Looking Because My Current Company is Not Doing Well? Excerpt: Is it a good idea to say I want to leave because my current company is not doing well financially? Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/should-i-say-im-looking-because-my-current-company-is-not-doing-well/

4 Micro-Actions to Create More Job Leads Excerpt: Here are four brand-new 15-minute executions to expand your high-leverage job search toolkit. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/4-micro-actions-to-create-more-job-leads-2/

Fly In Interviews Excerpt: A short video about fly in interviews. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/fly-in-interviews/

Why Should Branding Make a Difference to You? Excerpt: People don’t like to think of themselves like a hamburger, detergent or any other product . . . but in many respects, you are a brand just like any other. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/why-should-branding-make-a-difference-to-you/

How to Build a Personal Brand and Influence on LinkedIn Excerpt: In today’s competitive job market, young professionals need to build a personal brand and establish influence on LinkedIn to stand out. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/how-to-build-a-personal-brand-and-influence-on-linkedin/

The Biggest Networking Mistake #shorts Excerpt: According to research, this is the biggest networking mistake people make. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/the-biggest-networking-mistake-shorts/

Begging for a Job #shorts Excerpt: Oh, man! I feel your pain and . . . Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/begging-for-a-job-shorts/

Decoding How Companies Arrive at Salary Offers Excerpt: Asking the right questions can provide valuable context and information to help you respond. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/decoding-how-companies-arrive-at-salary-offers/

How to Master the Art of Job Stacking Excerpt: Some tech pros are capitalizing on the rebounding job market by engaging in job stacking. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/how-to-master-the-art-of-job-stacking/

4 Micro-Actions to Create More Job Leads Excerpt: Here are four brand-new 15-minute executions to expand your high-leverage job search toolkit. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/4-micro-actions-to-create-more-job-leads/

How Do I Apply for a Job That May Not Be Hiring? #shorts Excerpt: You want to apply for a job at a company that may not have a position open? Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/how-do-i-apply-for-a-job-that-may-not-be-hiring-shorts/

Career Advice for New Grads: What Experts Say Excerpt: If you were giving advice to someone who was graduating from college today and had to look for a job, what advice would you give them? Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/career-advice-for-new-grads-what-experts-say/

Tough Interview Questions: How Lucky Are You and Why? Excerpt: I explain what the trick is in this tough interview question and how to answer it. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/tough-interview-questions-how-lucky-are-you-and-why/

Interview Red Flags: The Raise in 6 Months #shorts Excerpt: This is a big one that too many inexperienced or less experienced people fall into. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/interview-red-flags-the-raise-in-6-months-shorts/

Hack the Hiring Funnel Excerpt: Execute this playbook to get internal referrals, anchor salary negotiations at the top of your market value, and dictate your total compensation package. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/hack-the-hiring-funnel/

When Do You Say Enough Is Enough? #shorts Excerpt: I’ve had 8 rounds of interviews that have taken 8 weeks. When do you say enough is enough? Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/when-do-you-say-enough-is-enough-shorts/

Job Search BS AND Questions to Ask to Avoid Stepping Into a Problem Job Excerpt: Especially when things get difficult in the job market, it’s important to avoid making some of the mistakes people make too often in their search AND avoid stepping into a job where you’re doomed to failure because you haven’t asked the right questions. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/job-search-bs-and-questions-to-ask-to-avoid-stepping-into-a-problem-job/

How To Attract the Attention of Recruiters From Tech Companies? Excerpt: A person who wrote asking about how they can get someone’s attention to the top tech firm. They went to an average to a mediocre school and they really want to work for such a firm. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/how-to-attract-the-attention-of-recruiters-from-tech-companies/

How to Stop Blowing Job Interviews with Rookie Mistakes #shorts Excerpt: Learn the three critical missteps killing your chances and how to control the room immediately. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/how-to-stop-blowing-job-interviews-with-rookie-mistakes-shorts/

Decoding the AI Hiring Black Box Excerpt: Discover why real candidate evaluation demands clear assessment criteria, documented rejection rationales, and continuous oversight. Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/decoding-the-ai-hiring-black-box/

Commenting on LinkedIn Posts #shorts Excerpt: This is the easiest way to expand your reach and recognition on LinkedIn Link: https://thebiggamehunter.us/commenting-on-linkedin-posts-shorts/