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Hey there! My name is Andy Cabistan, and I have been working in tech sales for the past 10 years. I’ve used this framework to land amazing opportunities at companies like Notion and Twilio. Over the years, I have mentored many professionals, helping them break into the tech industry.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and subscribe to my newsletter, Executive Mindset, where I share ideas and resources to help professionals develop executive skills and mental frameworks to thrive in their careers. Can’t wait to see you reach your full potential!

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Breaking into tech requires a combination of building a strong business case for why you are the best candidate for a role, networking with the right people, conducting thorough research, and showing up with confidence, a growth mindset, and humility at every step.

This template is divided into five sections. I recommend following them in order, as everything will come together in the end.

• Section 1 - Self-Refection - Finding Your Ikigai (interests / skills / market needs)
  • Reflect on your core interests, skills, and the market needs (Ikigai) to align with the type of career path and job opportunities that you want to pursue.
• Section 2 - Your Network of Champions
  • Connect with key people using the right messaging to get your foot in the door at your target companies.
• Section 3 - Job Application Strategy - Your 3 Why’s
  • Use Your 3 Why’s to submit applications that will open doors to multiple interviews. Your 3 Why’s are three key questions that help you craft a compelling narrative about why you're the best candidate for the role and how you can contribute to a high-impact team that drives the company's success.
• Section 4 - Crushing Your Interview!
  • Prepare by conducting research and crafting a compelling narrative to navigate every step of the interview process with confidence.
• Section 5 - Getting the job! Your First 90 Days
  • Build a clear plan to set yourself up for success in the first 90 days. </aside>

Section 1 - Self-Reflection - Finding your Ikigai

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Ikigai is a well-known concept from Okinawa, Japan, meaning "a reason for being"—a life filled with purpose and fulfillment. In the western world, it has been adapted as a framework to help people find the intersection of their passions, interests, skills, and the market needs.

By discovering your Ikigai, you can gain clarity on a career path that aligns with your strengths, fuels your passion, and brings deeper meaning to your life.

Answer the questions below to uncover your Ikigai and take the next step in your career journey.

• What do you love? 💛 What are some things that excite and energize you? (e.g., organizing, working with people, solving puzzles, researching, traveling, being creative, building things, etc.)
• What are you good at? 👷‍♂️ What skills, talents, or competencies do you excel at? (e.g., communication, analytics, programming, leadership, content creation, event planning, project management, etc.)
• What does the world need? 🌍 List several career paths or industries where you could apply your interests, skills, and competencies. (e.g., sales professional, software engineer, marketer, finance, data science, social media, etc.)
• What can you get paid for? 💰 What are some high-demand job titles that align with your skills, experience, and expertise? (e.g., Business Analyst, Account Manager, Software Engineer, Associate Product Manager, Marketing Manager, Data Analyst, Operations Manager, etc.)
• Ikigai blurb — Use this example to craft a statement that combines your Ikigai insights:
  • I love communicating, interacting with people, and solving problems. I’m skilled at managing relationships, negotiating, and selling products, services, and ideas. I can get paid as a tech sales representative. I’m pursuing a career as an Account Manager because it aligns with my interests and skills, and companies need professionals like me to sell their products and manage commercial relationships. </aside>

ANSWER THE IKIGAI QUESTIONS

I love communicating, interacting with people, and solving problems. I’m skilled at managing relationships, negotiating, and selling products, services, and ideas. I can get paid as a tech sales representative. I’m pursuing a career as an Account Manager because it aligns with my interests and skills, and companies need professionals like me to sell their products and manage commercial relationships. |

Section 2 - Your Network of Champions

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The best way to network is to be strategic about what you're looking for and to position yourself in a way that encourages others to connect with you. Before reaching out to anyone, start by listing the top job opportunities you find on LinkedIn. Ensure these opportunities align with your Ikigai from Section 1.

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👟 Step 1 - Identify Top Companies + Job Opportunities

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Add a list below of top companies and top job opportunities. We will expand on this table in Section 4.

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Job Opportunities

👟 Step 2 - Finding Your Champions + Getting a Referral

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The majority of companies have a referral program where employees are incentivized to refer talent, so it’s common for people to have virtual coffees. This is a good way to break through the noise and get your application in front of the right people.

Here is how you can go about it 😎

• Identify key people on LinkedIn who are part of the team that you want to join. See table below.
• Send them a personalized note inviting them for a virtual coffee chat to learn about their experience at XYZ company and to share your interest in one of the roles on their team. Reference something interesting about their background in your outreach.
• When they accept your connection, be proactive and offer to send a calendar invite with a Zoom or Google Meet link. Make it easy for them to meet with you through their preferred channel.
• Set a clear agenda from the beginning. Break the ice by doing quick intros, let them know that you are considering job opportunities at their company, and dive into a list of questions to learn more about their experience.
• Throughout the meeting you can also share about your experience and how your skills / competencies / Ikigai fit well into the type of work that they do.
• Call to Action! 🚨 Ask your connection if they’d be open to referring you for the role that you are interested in.
  • If they are open to referring you, let’s move forward to Section 3! Your job application.
  • If they are not open, it’s all good. Don’t take it personally and keep networking with more people.

💡 Consider this your informational interview to get your foot in the door. The friendly stranger on LinkedIn can become Your Champion!

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