Would You Help Me Find a Job?
The no is already guaranteed. Everything else is a win.
I have over 23,000 followers on LinkedIn.
30,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel.
4,000 subscribers to this newsletter.
Hundreds of industry colleagues and dozens of friends in this business.
Would I dare to ask you for help if I needed a job?
Hell yeah.
Would you do the same?
The answer might not be as clear as mine.
A few weeks ago, someone I respect called me. Not for work. Not to catch up. They needed help finding their next gig.
I could hear it in their voice. How hard it was to make that call. The long pause before getting to the point. The careful way they framed it, almost apologizing for asking.
And this is someone with a great track record. Someone who has delivered at the highest level. Still, making that call felt like climbing a mountain.
I get it. It is not easy.
It is a moment when you need to be vulnerable. You have to put aside the superhero cape and tell someone, someone you are not 100% sure how they will receive it, that you need help finding your next opportunity.
You think the answer is going to be no.
You hesitate because that person is busy and probably does not have time to help you.
You go back to the thought of, “What would he think about me? Could we keep doing business even if I asked for a job?”
And then there is imposter syndrome. Am I good enough to ask for a job? Do I need more preparation, more skills before I can even ask?
I talk to friends and colleagues all the time. Some of them are going through tough times. And some of them are still not willing to ask for help.
I respect that. It is complicated to put your pride aside and face the possibility of a no.
But here is the thing.
The no is already guaranteed if you don’t ask. Anything else is a win.
The person you reach out to might not be the one giving you the next job. But she might be the one passing your CV to someone who does. And that is where the opportunity shows up.
My take after 20+ years in this business:
Give others the chance to say no. Don’t decide for them. Don’t assume.
Don’t wait until you desperately need a job to ask for one. Build the habit early.
Asking for a job is not a weakness. It shows that you care about your career and your future.
Asking for help is also a sign of respect. It tells the other person you value their opinion and their network.
If you need to fill the holes in your schedule for the next few months, start asking today.
If your bank account is starting to run low, do not wait until you are living on credit card money.
If your current job makes you miserable, do not wait for the next uncomfortable moment. Start asking for help today.
One conversation can change everything. The hardest part is not the answer. The hardest part is pressing send on that first message.
Know someone between gigs right now? Someone who is hesitating to reach out? Forward this to them. Sometimes the push they need is knowing they are not the only one.