On this episode, I talk about something that comes up all the time in my coaching sessions with MBA students—and that’s networking. I've talked about it before on the podcast on episode 1202 "Reframe the way you think about networking and asking for help" I'll drop a link in the show notes.  I encourage you to go back and give that one a listen.

 

As generative AI has proliferated on both sides of the job search with candidates using it to submit more and more customized applications, and recruiters using it to filter through piles of hundreds or thousands of applicants, relationships are once again increasingly important in learning about opportunities before they are public, and securing interview invites.

 

So many job seekers have what I call the hunter/gatherer mindset in their job search: they scour job boards for opportunities, and submit applications.  I would encourage anyone in an active job search -- or anyone who thinks they might be in an active job search in the next 6 to 18 months, to adopt what I call the gardener mindset.

 

Let’s dig in. (no pun intended)

 

If you’re like many MBA students—or honestly, professionals at any stage—you may have a complicated relationship with networking.

You know you’re supposed to do it. You’ve heard it's important.

But maybe it feels awkward. Transactional. A little sleezy even. I picture Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho with his heavy-bond embossed business card.

 

Maybe you don’t want to “bother” people. Or maybe you're waiting until you have a clear goal or ask before reaching out.

I get it. That hesitation is totally normal.

But here’s the thing—networking is not a one-time transaction. It’s not about reaching out only when you need something. It’s not just about collecting contacts on linkedin like pokemon cards.

Networking—effective, sustainable, authentic networking—is about building relationships over time.

That’s where the gardener mindset comes in.

 

Imagine you're a gardener.

You don’t just toss seeds into the dirt one day and expect to harvest a salad the next.

 

You prepare the soil. You plant a variety of seeds. You water them. You protect them from frost. You wait. You come back to check on them. Sometimes they sprout. Sometimes they don’t. Different plants mature on different schedules. Some may require years before you are ready to harvest anything.

 

Think Like A Gardener

On this episode, I speak with Lorraine Rise, career coach, founder and CEO of Career UpRising and host of the Career UpRising podcast. With a background in federal recruiting, Lorraine has spent a decade empowering mid- and late-career professionals through career pivots and values-driven job searches.

We explore:

 1. Redefining Networking Learn how shifting from transactional outreach to authentic relationship-building can unlock access to the hidden job market—especially valuable for MBA students and early-career professionals.

 2. Values‑Driven Job Search Lorraine shares her framework for aligning job searches with personal values and company culture—essential for sustained career satisfaction and resilience.

 3. Smart Use of Generative AI in The Career Search and Preparation From using tools like Perplexity for in-depth employer research to leveraging AI-enabled editing tools (not full writing), Lorraine explains how to stay human and personalized in your job applications.

🗝️ Top Takeaways

 * Cultivate Deep Networks Investing in meaningful relationships leads to job opportunities that don’t appear on public platforms.

 * Anchor Your Career in Purpose A values-aligned job search ensures long-term engagement and less burnout.

 * Augment with AI, Don’t Automate Use tools like Perplexity to research roles and AI editors to refine application materials—while preserving your unique voice

🔗 Resources & Links

 * Career UpRising Podcast [https://www.careeruprising.com/podcast] – Lorraine’s podcast, and my appearance on her show [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/being-qualified-isnt-enough-with-gregory-heller/id1375805457?i=1000710884108].

 * Career UpRising Website [https://www.careeruprising.com]

 * Lorraine on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorrainerise/]

 * Perplexity AI

Lorraine Rise on the Hidden Job Market, Networking, Values Based Careers, and Using AI in the Job Search

It’s May, and for many of you, that means graduation. Whether you’re finishing your MBA or completing another academic journey, this is a moment filled with possibility—and uncertainty. Especially in today’s job market, it’s natural to feel some anxiety about what comes next.

To support you in your job search, I want to point you to a few episodes from the back catalog that offer practical tools and strategies to help you navigate this transition.

First up: Steve Dalton [https://conversationsoncareers.com/2hjs], author of The 2-Hour Job Search. In our conversation, he breaks down a step-by-step approach to landing interviews efficiently—even in a tough market.

If you’re looking to up your LinkedIn game, check out my interview with Jeremy Schifeling [https://conversationsoncareers.com/linked], co-author of Linked: Conquer LinkedIn, Get Your Dream Job, Own Your Future. He shares insider tips from his time at LinkedIn and how to stand out online.

Jeremy also returned to the podcast more recently to talk about how job seekers can use generative AI tools like ChatGPT [https://conversationsoncareers.com/2024/09/jeremy-schifeling-on-using-generative-ai-in-your-career-search/] to improve résumés, write better outreach messages, and streamline the job search.

Along those lines, Ryan Dickerson [https://conversationsoncareers.com/2024/10/ryan-dickerson-career-transitions-relational-networking-and-using-generative-ai/], an executive career coach, joined me to discuss how AI can support career transitions, especially for experienced professionals looking to pivot or reenter the workforce.

And finally, don’t miss my conversation with Priyanka Natrajan [https://conversationsoncareers.com/2023/10/using-yoodli-for-job-interview-practice-with-priyanka-natrajan/], a Foster MBA who used the AI-powered platform Yoodli to practice for internship interviews. It's a great example of how technology can help you build confidence and polish your communication skills.

You can find all these episodes at conversationsoncareers.com [https://conversationsoncareers.com/] or by searching for Conversations on Careers and Professional Life in your favorite podcast app.

Job Search Advice From the Back Catalog For Graduation Season

Episode Summary: Navigating Career Transitions with Ryan Dickerson

In this episode of Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, I speak with Ryan Dickerson, founder of Good Fit Careers, about his innovative approach to career coaching. Ryan leverages generative AI tools like ChatGPT to help executives craft compelling resumes, prepare for interviews, and navigate career transitions. The conversation covers the importance of patience during job searches, building empathy for hiring managers, and the power of relational networking over transactional interactions.

Ryan also shares his strategies for reframing career narratives to highlight problem-solving abilities and deliverables, rather than simply focusing on personal achievements. Additionally, the episode delves into how AI assists Ryan’s coaching process, helping clients break down their professional journeys into actionable, digestible insights.

Key Topics:
 * AI-powered career coaching and resume optimization
 * The value and importance of patience in career transitions
 * Developing empathy for hiring managers
 * Reframing career narratives
 * Effective networking: Relational vs. transactional approaches
 * Preparing for interviews by focusing on concrete outcomes

Resources Mentioned:

 * Good Fit Careers [https://goodfitcareers.com/] For Ryan's Coaching practice and podcast
 * Follow Ryan on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsdickerson/]
 * Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity.ai
   * Listen to my conversation with Jeremy Schifeling, founder of the Job Search Insiders, about using AI in the career search [https://conversationsoncareers.com/2024/09/jeremy-schifeling-on-using-generative-ai-in-your-career-search/].
 * Networking guides: The 2-Hour Job Search and The 20-Minute Networking Meeting
   * Listen to my conversations with Steve Dalton about the 2-Hour Job Search [https://conversationsoncareers.com/2hjs]

Ryan Dickerson, Executive Career Coach, on Career Transitions, Relational Networking, and Using Generative AI

In this episode of Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, I share some advice on reframing how you think about “networking” and asking for help.

 * Move beyond the idea of collecting contacts
 * Focus on building genuine relationships and learning from others
 * Nurture connections over time for mutual benefit
 * Understand that asking for help can actually benefit the person helping you
 * Overcome the fear of being a burden when seeking assistance
 * Strengthen relationships by showing trust and vulnerability
 * Recognize that your network includes all communities you're part of
 * Look for professional opportunities in unexpected places (e.g., school events, volunteer activities)

"Real networking is about building relationships. It's about getting to know people, learning from them, and creating genuine connections."

Action Steps for Listeners

 * Reflect on recent interactions: What can you learn from someone you've met recently? What could you offer them?
 * Practice asking for help: Reach out to someone in your network for assistance this week
 * Map your communities: List all the different groups you're a part of and consider how they might connect to your professional life

Check out out the books, Designing Your Life or Designing Your Work Life by Bill Burnet and Dave Evans, All You Have to Do is Ask by Wayne Baker, and Give and Take by Adam Grant.

Reframe The Way You Think About Networking and Asking for Help

Leveraging Generative AI in Your Career Search with Jeremy Schifeling

Jeremy Schifeling [https://www.linkedin.com/in/schifeling/], founder of The Job Insiders [https://www.thejobinsiders.com/] and author of Career Coach GPT and Linked: Conquer LinkedIn, Get Your Dream Job, Own Your Future shares his insights on how job seekers can leverage generative AI tools like ChatGPT in the job search process.

Jeremy and I have known each other for seven years and recently co-presented a session at the Career Services Employer Alliance Global Conference on how graduate business school career services can leverage generative AI in their work.

In this episode, Jeremy returns for a second conversation to discuss how business school students, job seekers, and professionals can use AI to tailor their resumes, cover letters, and interview prep, while staying authentic in their communication. Listen to my first conversation with Jeremy about his book, Linked, from May 202 [https://conversationsoncareers.com/linked]2.

Key Takeaways:

 1. Get Hands-On with Generative AI: Jeremy emphasizes that AI tools like ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, Gemini and Copilot are easy to use, even for non-technical individuals. By interacting with these platforms, job seekers can quickly familiarize themselves with their capabilities—whether for refining resumes, helping to draft cover letters, or even brainstorming career paths based on personality tests like Myers-Briggs or CliftonStrengths.
 2. Crafting Effective Prompts: Jeremy and talk about the importance of specificity in AI prompts as well as using meta prompting techniques. While a generic prompt like "write a cover letter" might yield basic results, being more precise—such as asking for insights into missing keywords or requesting tailored interview questions based on a job description—will lead to better outcomes. He also encourages users to iteratively refine outputs, ensuring the final result feels authentic and personalized.
 3. Beyond Job Searching—Building Long-Term Skills: The skills you develop using generative AI tools can extend to developing AI literacy that is rapidly becoming a key asset in many industries. Understanding how to harness these tools for tasks like data analysis or marketing can make professionals more competitive in the long run.

Practical AI Tools and Strategies:

 * Role-Playing Interviews with ChatGPT: Use AI to simulate job interviews, ask follow-up questions, and even offer feedback on your responses, preparing you for tough, real-life interview scenarios.
 * Mining Job Descriptions for Insights: Paste multiple job descriptions into AI tools to uncover common skills, which can help you craft a LinkedIn profile that resonates across different career paths.
 * Maintaining Authenticity: While AI can help draft resumes and cover letters, Jeremy advises against over-reliance on AI-generated content. Ensuring your voice comes through is essential, as recruiters are becoming savvy to AI-generated applications. Craft prompts that include your first drafts, or career highlights, feed your final drafts back into the chat so the bot can learn from the changes you make.

Resources Mentioned:<

Jeremy Schifeling on Using Generative AI in Your Career Search

In this special live episode recorded as part of #PNWClimateWeek and the Bloomberg Green Festival at the KEXP Gathering Space, Gregory Heller and Jonathan Azoff sit down with Lauren Selig, a  film producer, investor, entrepreneur, and board member of the XPRIZE Foundation. , Lauren shares her journey from journalism to film production and investment, highlighting the importance of intuition, mentorship, and environmental consciousness in her diverse career. Tune in to discover how Lauren’s innovative projects are making a significant impact on climate tech and sustainability.

 * Shake and Bake Productions [http://shakeandbakeproductions.com]
 * XPRIZE Foundation [http://xprize.org]
 * Vaxxinity [https://vaxxinity.com/]
 * Colossal [http://colossal.com]
 * Pacific Northwest Climate Week [https://lu.ma/pnwclimateweek], Climate Capitalism author Talk with Akshat Rathi and UW Foster Dean Frank Hodge [https://lu.ma/4xpdpytk?tk=TTLpDJ]
 * Bloomberg Green Festival [https://www.bloomberglive.com/greenfestival/schedule]

Lauren Selig on Navigating a Career of Creativity and Impact, Live at PNW Climate Week

In this episode we continue our conversation with Adital Ella, founder of Criaterra Earth Technologies. Adital shares valuable advice for those aspiring to enter the climate tech industry, drawing from her own experiences as an entrepreneur and innovator.

Key points discussed:

 * How to approach climate tech companies as a job seeker, even without a scientific background
 * The importance of demonstrating genuine passion and alignment with a company's mission
 * Strategies for growth within an organization, including starting in junior roles and working up
 * Adital's personal journey from industrial design student to climate tech entrepreneur
 * The value of following one's intuition and inner calling in career decisions
 * Balancing innovation and business acumen in a growing climate tech company

Adital's story provides a roadmap for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the fight against climate change. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity, collaboration, and personal growth in building a successful career in this rapidly evolving field.

This episode offers invaluable insights for anyone considering a career shift into climate tech, as well as entrepreneurs looking to build and scale sustainable businesses. Adital's experiences highlight the unique challenges and rewards of working at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and business.

This episode is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc [http://snocap.vc/]. 

Adital Ela Shares Career Insights on Navigating a Career In Climate Tech (Part 2 of 2)

In this episode, we talk with Adital Ella, founder of Criaterra Earth Technologies, an Israeli company pioneering sustainable, low carbob building materials. Adital shares her journey from sustainable furniture designer to climate tech entrepreneur, offering insights into the development of Criaterra's beautiful and sustainable tiles and building materials.

Key points discussed:

 * Criaterra's innovative building material, which sequesters carbon and reduces energy use by up to 82% compared to traditional manufacturing processes
 * The importance of balancing environmental benefits with aesthetics and market appeal in sustainable product design
 * Challenges and strategies for scaling a climate-focused building materials company
 * Advice for aspiring climate tech entrepreneurs on navigating the business and investment landscape

Adital's story highlights the potential for design-driven innovation in addressing climate change, demonstrating how creative thinking can lead to practical solutions for reducing the construction industry's carbon footprint.

Whether you're interested in sustainable architecture, climate tech entrepreneurship, or the future of green building materials, this episode offers valuable insights into the intersection of design, sustainability, and business in the fight against climate change.

This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation. In part 2, Adital offers more advice on pursuing a career in sustainability.

This episode is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc [http://snocap.vc/]. 

Adital Ella of Criaterra on Growing a Company Providing Low Carbon Building Materials (Part 1 of 2)

In the second part of the conversation, Scott Case, co-founder and CEO of Recurrent [https://recurrentauto.com] shares his career journey and lessons learned. Scott has worked at small companies, big companies, and started two companies himself. He shares some lessons learned at his first startup, EnergySavvy.

Scott then offers advice for people looking to enter the clean technology or energy revolution space. He suggests that recent graduates should gain experience by working for a large company in the industry they want to decarbonize, learn about the processes, and then identify high-leverage ways to disrupt the industry through a startup.

For those who prefer working at a startup right away, Scott recommends finding a small company where they can make a significant impact, learning about the company and how they can add value. He also shares the qualities he looks for when hiring, such as adaptability and a willingness to take on various roles. 

This episode is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc [http://snocap.vc/]. 

Scott Case, Recurrent Co-Founder, Offers Career Advice and Insights (Part 2)

Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, from the Foster School of Business office of MBA Career Management Host Gregory Heller has conversations with University of Washington and Foster School faculty, staff, alumni, executives, current MBA candidates and other experts relating to career development, planning, and resilience. If you're navigating a career change, pursuing your MBA, or looking to develop a resilient mindset to help you with your job search, this podcast may be for you!

Gregory Heller

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