Open Doors.
Doors open through people. Build the search engine that runs on relationships.
Most people apply cold, then panic-network. You'll do the opposite. Map your people through the Confidence Circle, send a specific announcement to your inner ring first, then run a weekly rhythm sized to your real capacity - protected by a No List.
~3h · 5 exercises
- Your goal: a search that runs on relationships - map your people, make a specific ask, set a sustainable rhythm.
- The order matters: warm circle first, wider net second.
- Sustainable beats heroic. Weekly numbers + a No List to protect them.
- My Confidence Circle has names (or named empty seats) for each role.
- My announcement is sent to my Inner Circle; the wider version is drafted.
- 15+ referral coffee chats are logged with trends tracked across them.
- Two full weeks of rhythm are logged: 4+ tailored applications, 4+ touches, 2+ conversations booked.
- My No List exists and I've honored it at least once.
Step by step
The lessons in this module
Work through each exercise in order. Every step has guidance, prompts, and a place to reflect — inside the hub or on paper.
- 1
6.1 Network Braindump
~30 minDump every name you can think of — before you sort anyone into rings.
**Before you sort, list.** The Confidence Circle (next) asks you to place people into rings — but most people freeze there because they can't remember who they actually know. Fix that first with a **fast, judgment-free braindump**.
**Set a 20-minute timer** and list **30–50 names** across every corner of your life. **Don't filter, don't rank, don't skip anyone because 'they wouldn't help.'** You're mapping the terrain, not deciding anything yet.
**Prompts to jog your memory** (work through them one at a time): · Current + past coworkers, managers, direct reports · Clients, vendors, contractors you've worked with · Grad school, undergrad, high school — classmates and professors · Board members, advisors, mentors · Workshop / cohort / community peers (accelerators, fellowships, slack groups) · Friends whose work you respect — even if you've never talked about careers · Family and family-of-friends who work in adjacent fields · People you follow closely on LinkedIn who'd probably remember you · One-off strong conversations (a great coffee chat, a conference intro, a hallway chat)
**Then** — and only then — move to 6.2 and sort them into the four rings. Most people find their empty seats already have candidates hiding in the braindump.
- 2
6.2 The Confidence Circle
~25 minName a person for each of the 8 seats - or mark it as a seat to fill.
**Eight roles, two for each stage** of the Confidence Cycle. Pull from your **6.1 braindump** and place people into rings. **An empty seat isn't a failure** — it's the clearest signal of **where to spend your energy this month**.
- 3
6.3 The Announcement
~25 minDraft the message that tells your network what you're looking for.
Draft the message that tells your network what you're looking for — **specific role types, specific orgs**. **Send to Inner Circle first**; they're the warm-up rep.
- 4
6.4 Rhythm, Tracker, No List
~30 minSet weekly numbers, pick a tracker, write what you're not doing.
**Set up today:** Choose weekly numbers that fit your real capacity, choose a tracking system, and write what you are deliberately not doing.
**Then:** Spend about 10 minutes each week recording applications, outreach, conversations, and what you noticed. Sustainable beats heroic.
- 5
6.5 Referral Coffee Chats · 15+ and Track the Trends
~60 minA second wave of chats — this time for referrals and hidden-market signal.
**Your goal:** Hold 15–20 referral coffee chats over 6–8 weeks and track the patterns across them. Many opportunities surface through relationships before or alongside a public posting.
**This week:** Book 2–3 conversations through your Confidence Circle, second-degree connections, alumni, or your strongest Module 3 contacts. Ask each person, 'Who else would you recommend I talk to?'
**After each chat:** Record the main pain points, priorities, language or tools mentioned, introductions offered, and your follow-up date. Ask to learn—not for a job.
Open one chat at a time below. The trend across 15+ conversations is the deliverable.
- Open your tracker: the data is never as bad as the dread. What does it actually say?
- The outreach you're most avoiding: send it now, imperfect. Then notice how it felt.
Ready to put pen to paper?
Download the full Career Confidence workbook with the worksheets for this module — or sign in to complete them inside the hub with your coach.