So you finally started networking and landed a few coffee chats or informational interviews, congratulations! Now you might be wondering what comes next. Because getting someone to say “yes” to a conversation is one thing. Turning that conversation into a meaningful career opportunity is something entirely different.

In this episode, I'll guide you in navigating networking calls with confidence, authenticity, and purpose. You'll learn how to move beyond surface-level conversations, build genuine professional relationships, and communicate your value without making the interaction feel transactional.

Because the most effective networking conversations aren’t about asking for a job.

They’re about creating connection, gathering insights, and helping the right people understand where you can make an impact.

The question is: are your networking calls ending with “thanks for your time”… or opening doors to future opportunities?

You’ll learn:

✔ How to prepare for networking conversations without sounding rehearsed

✔ The 5-step framework for guiding a networking call naturally

✔ How to share your experience and career goals without making the conversation about you

✔ Questions that uncover valuable industry insights and hidden opportunities

✔ How to ask for introductions, referrals, and next steps without creating pressure

✔ The follow-up strategy that keeps relationships alive long after the call ends

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Cut 3 months off your job search in 90 minutes (start here) Create a clear brand & job search strategy that cuts 3 months off your search: https://theuncommoncareer.com/intensive

Learn our 5-step job search strategy: https://theuncommoncareer.com/process

Connect with me on LinkedIn (let me know you're from the podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmortega/

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Patricia Ortega is known for coaching clients to a strategic, emotionally intelligent approach to job searching that emphasizes clarity over activity, quality over quantity, and positioning over bragging. She helps mid-career professionals rise above crowded applicant pools and land aligned roles faster by combining three core areas: 1) Clear branding and messaging, 2) job search strategy, and 3) Identity, Confidence, and Emotional Intelligence Under Pressure. She operates from a Christian, biblical worldview. She believes excellence and integrity can coexist, and you don’t have to exaggerate or compromise who you are to compete at a high level. Learn more at https://theuncommoncareer.com.

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If networking feels awkward, forced, or like it never leads anywhere… you’re not imagining it. So many professionals send a few LinkedIn messages, hear silence back, and quietly decide that networking just “doesn’t work” for their industry, personality, or career level.

Today, we'll break down why networking often fails before it even has the chance to work, and how small shifts in your mindset, messaging, and consistency can completely change the results you see. Because networking isn’t really about asking for a job. It’s about building genuine conversations that create momentum, relationships, and long-term opportunities.

And the truth is, most people give up long before they’ve gathered enough data to know what’s actually working.

The question is: are you truly networking… or just testing the waters and hoping for immediate results?

Let’s unpack how to make networking feel more natural, more relational, and far more effective in your job search.

You’ll learn:

✔ Why networking feels uncomfortable and how that hesitation affects your results

✔ The difference between transactional networking and relationship-building

✔ Why most professionals quit networking before they’ve put in enough reps

✔ How to send networking messages that actually spark conversations

✔ Practical LinkedIn networking strategies to create more opportunities naturally

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Cut 3 months off your job search in 90 minutes (start here) Create a clear brand & job search strategy that cuts 3 months off your search: https://theuncommoncareer.com/intensive

Learn our 5-step job search strategy: https://theuncommoncareer.com/process

Connect with me on LinkedIn (let me know you're from the podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmortega/

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_____________________

Patricia Ortega is known for coaching clients to a strategic, emotionally intelligent approach to job searching that emphasizes clarity over activity, quality over quantity, and positioning over bragging. She helps mid-career professionals rise above crowded applicant pools and land aligned roles faster by combining three core areas: 1) Clear branding and messaging, 2) job search strategy, and 3) Identity, Confidence, and Emotional Intelligence Under Pressure. She operates from a Christian, biblical worldview. She believes excellence and integrity can coexist, and you don’t have to exaggerate or compromise who you are to compete at a high level. Learn more at https://theuncommoncareer.com.

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If your job search has turned into endless applications, second-guessing, and hoping something finally sticks… you’re not alone. Many professionals fall into the trap of doing more: more applying, more searching, more scrolling - without ever stepping back to ask if their approach is actually working.

But in this episode, you’ll hear how Kelly went from a scattered, “apply to everything” approach to landing a director-level role with a significant salary increase. And the shift wasn’t about connections or luck. It was about clarity, positioning, and learning how to communicate her value in a way that actually landed.

Because the truth is, your experience is probably stronger than you think.

The question is: are you leveraging it?

Let’s break down what that actually looks like, and how you can start creating traction in your own search.

You’ll learn:

✔ Why applying to everything keeps you stuck (even if it feels productive)

✔ What it really means to communicate your value in interviews and beyond

✔ Why confidence comes from preparation and not memorization

Links in this episode:

Get immediate clarity with The Career & Brand Strategy Intensive: https://www.theuncommoncareer.com/intensive

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Cut 3 months off your job search in 90 minutes (start here) Create a clear brand & job search strategy that cuts 3 months off your search: https://theuncommoncareer.com/intensive

Learn our 5-step job search strategy: https://theuncommoncareer.com/process

Connect with me on LinkedIn (let me know you're from the podcast): https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmortega/

.

.

.

.

.

.

_____________________

Patricia Ortega is known for coaching clients to a strategic, emotionally intelligent approach to job searching that emphasizes clarity over activity, quality over quantity, and positioning over bragging. She helps mid-career professionals rise above crowded applicant pools and land aligned roles faster by combining three core areas: 1) Clear branding and messaging, 2) job search strategy, and 3) Identity, Confidence, and Emotional Intelligence Under Pressure. She operates from a Christian, biblical worldview. She believes excellence and integrity can coexist, and you don’t have to exaggerate or compromise who you are to compete at a high level. Learn more at https://theuncommoncareer.com.

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