Hey there —

What does it take to get a job these days?

If you asked your parents, they’d probably tell you to walk into the office, ask for the manager, and hand them your resume. 🤦🏼‍♀️

(BTW: Remember “cover letters?” Me neither.)

We all know that’s not how hiring works these days. But is our current system any better?

The general consensus is that you need a good education, killer resume, and you have to nail the interview to get the gig. But according to Glassdoor, only one out of 250 applicants will land a job.

For employers, sifting through the candidate pool is like finding a place on Airbnb. Once you set the budget, all the 2-bedrooms listings with high-resolution photos start to look the same.

So how can you stand out?

By becoming a permissionless apprentice.

You’re probably already familiar with a traditional apprenticeship, which is when you work for someone but get paid in experience, knowledge, and industry connections. But there’s another kind of apprenticeship.

Coined by Jack Butcher, a permissionless apprentice is exactly what it sounds like. You jump into the apprenticeship without actually waiting for someone to hire you.

As Kasia Manolas explains: “The Internet has created a massive shift in the way talent is discovered at every level. You can deliver value to people that have a problem no matter who they are, where they are, or what level of stardom they’ve reached.”

Let’s look at some examples:

🥤Ashley Xu created a mock Sprite commercial from her college dorm that blew up on TikTok. She then took her videography skills and created a TikTok for HBO Max which got her an internship at HBO.

☕️ Sasha Birukoff is a graphic designer who posts his redesigns of popular company logos on Twitter. His minimalist style is getting a ton of attention (and side work!) right now.

🏡 Nina Mufleh really wanted to work for Airbnb. But when her traditional job applications were left unnoticed, she launched her own website that contained ideas for Airbnb’s marketing team after analyzing the global tourism market. Nina got the gig.

Best case scenario? You land the job.

Worst case scenario? You learn something new and add it to your portfolio.

Either way, becoming a permissionless apprentice isn’t only about adjusting your career path. It’s about harnessing the power of the internet to gather new skills, demonstrate your capabilities, and make valuable connections.

So get out there and become a citizen of the internet. You have every right to make your voice heard.

The Great Online Game

Article | by Packy McCormick

If you’re reading this newsletter, you’re already playing the “Great Online Game.”

Coined by Packy McCormick, the Great Online Game is played out every day across the internet by billions of people. And how you play the online game can have serious real world consequences — and rewards — like jobs, money, connections, and more.

Take social media for example. How you “play” on the platforms can unlock opportunities in other places:

✔️ Share Instagram pics of your favorite recipes and you might get invited to a cooking Facebook group.

✔️Tweet interesting ideas and you could be asked to lead a Daisie workshop.

✔️Post Youtube videos and we might feature you in our Snail Mail creator spotlight. 😉

But sharing on social media is just one part of this “great” game. You can also win points by collaborating, participating in online communities, and adding just value to others at no upfront cost.

You’re playing the Great Online Game right now. Just remember that the internet is more than viral fame and instant entertainment. It can be an endless resource with huge unexpected returns in your personal life and your career by opening doors you never even knew existed.

Read the article →

LinkedIn’s Alternate Universe

Article | by Fadeke Adegbuyi

LinkedIn is the only platform chaotic enough to notify you when someone visits your page, but then demands that you pay $50 a month to see who it was.

LinkedIn describes itself as “the world's largest professional network on the internet” — a white collar promised land where you can make valuable connections and post your resume (and skills) for all those hiring managers to see.

But in reality, LinkedIn is deranged and distracting.

The algorithmic feed consists of corporate blog posts and bizarre status updates. Your InMail is riddled with bogus sales pitches and recruiters thinking you’d be the “perfect” fit for an unvetted MBA program in Idaho.

15 years ago, LinkedIn was one of the best free places to host your resume. But in the 21st century, there are so many better ways to display your skills, expertise, and experience than with an outdated resume. Fadeke says:

“Resumes are old scrolls of a bygone era. If LinkedIn is a site meant to demonstrate you’re an expert, it’s competing against all the places you can do this better. Developers have GitHub, designers use Dribbble, and Academics maintain their ResearchGate or Google Scholar profiles.”

Fadeke’s piece is a dizzying deep dive on the spectacularly bizarre world of LinkedIn. By the end, you’ll hastily pack up and migrate your resume to a site that people in your field actually use.

Read the article →

40 One-Sentence Writing Tips

Article | by Josh Spector

If you want to gain traction with your blog, newsletter, Twitter account, and yes, even YouTube — you have to know how to craft a message that packs a punch.

And you have to do it in the fewest words possible.

In this article, writer Josh Spector gifts us with pithy, powerful writing advice perfect for ambitious online writers. Our favorite tip is Number 10:

“It’s not about having something to say — it’s about having the guts to say it.”

Doubting your writing capabilities? Let us remind you: Writing is a skill, not a talent. And like all skills, it can be learned. So get practicing!

Read the article →

Written by Alice Lemée

Edited by Matt D'Avella & Shawn Forno