Resource hub
Module 03Week 3Explore

Read the Market.

Test your hypothesis against reality - through people, not just postings.

Job descriptions show what the market wants; coffee chats show what the work is actually like. Expect to revise your hypothesis - that's the point. You're buying clarity at the cheapest price it will ever be.

~4h · 4 exercises

Download the workbookWork this module in the hub
Two pairs of hands wrapped around ceramic coffee cups on a warm wooden table
Objectives
  • Your goal: put your hypothesis in contact with the real market and revise it with evidence.
  • Two channels: job descriptions (what the market wants) and coffee chats (what the work feels like).
  • Expect revision - that's the win, not a failure.
You're done when
  • I'm following 50+ targeted people/orgs and my feed reflects my target industry.
  • At least 5 job descriptions are logged with excitement scores and gaps.
  • At least 3 coffee chats are completed and logged with next steps.
  • My synthesis is filled in.
  • My hypothesis 2.0 is written, with the reason.

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. 1

    3.1 LinkedIn Feed Build · Follow 50

    ~45 min

    Reshape your feed so your target industry is what you see every day — before you scan roles.

    **Start here.** You can't match your skills to a market you haven't listened to. Before scanning roles or booking chats, **reshape what you're seeing every day.** Build a target list of **50+ people and organizations** in your desired industry, follow them, and **absorb the language, priorities, and pain points** the industry actually talks about.

    **Three buckets to fill:** · **Industry thought leaders** — people posting weekly insights in your target space. · **Dream employers** — recruiters, hiring managers, and future teammates at named companies. · **Peers & local professionals** — people already doing the role, plus alumni and regional peers.

    **How to find them fast:** LinkedIn search bar → keyword or title → **People filter** → **All Filters** (Location, Industry, 2nd-degree). Or: find one strong creator in your field and use **People → Followers of creator** to see their most engaged audience. **Follow** thought leaders (no request needed); **Connect with a short personalized note** for peers and future teammates.

    **Rule:** comment thoughtfully on 2–3 posts a week. **You want to be recognizable in the feed, not a stranger with a request** — and by the time you get to 3.2 Role Scan, the market's vocabulary will already be in your ear.

  2. 2

    3.2 Role Scan

    ~60 min

    Collect 5–7 real job descriptions in your target zone and log each.

    Find **5 to 7 real job descriptions** in your target zone. For each, log: role title + link · **excitement (1–5) and why** · skills the role requires · **AI signals** (how does it mention AI, explicitly or between the lines?) · your transferable strengths for it · **your gaps** · next step to learn more.

    At the end, **name the patterns** across all the roles: titles, skills, language, salary signals.

  3. 3

    3.3 Coffee Chats

    ~90 min

    Hold 3–5 conversations. Warm-up → role & org → advice → next step.

    **Three reliable openers**: 'How did you get into this work?' · 'What skills help someone thrive on your team?' · 'If you were in my shoes, what would you explore next?'

    **Always ask how their team uses AI day to day.** To close: 'Based on what you know about my interests, **who else should I talk to** — and could you **introduce me to one person**?' **Every conversation ends with a next step.**

  4. 4

    3.4 Synthesis & Hypothesis 2.0

    ~25 min

    Step back. What is the market telling you?

    **Step back** from the roles and the conversations. **What is the market telling you?** Look across your role scans and coffee chats for **patterns** — words that keep showing up, doors that opened easily, doors that didn't. Then **update your hypothesis**: keep what's holding, cut what isn't, and name what to test next.

Reflect before moving on
  • Reread your synthesis: which pattern would you bet on?
  • The most useful sentence anyone said in a coffee chat: write it somewhere you'll see it.

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.

Download workbook (PDF)Start in the hub
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Define Your Direction
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Experiment & Close the Gap