Getstart-ed

09/02/2026

Studies show that knowing when to ask for help is an essential skill for children’s learning and achievement. College students who proactively seek assistance from others typically outperform those who avoid doing so. In adulthood, seeking support is an effective strategy for regulating our emotions, and having a support network is a reliable predictor of overall mental health.

All of this holds true while job seeking, too.

Being a successful self-starter doesn’t mean pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.

08/23/2026

Every job seeker wants employers to notice them.
Here are some ways to get noticed:

1) Offer them something that matters to them.

2) Be different. Don’t be the same-old, same-old.

3) Ask challenging questions.

4) Cause a bit of controversy.

Yesterday, on LinkedIn I shared a USA Today article about how job-seekers feel about ATS.

I offered an article (and opinion) that matters to them.
The article expresses a view many people disagree with. It is different.
I asked some tough questions about the topic.
And the comments show how the post is controversial.

The result: people noticed.
The post has over 9,000 views; my profile has been viewed several times; I’ve gained some new followers.

08/07/2026

Today I congratulated a former client on their 5th work anniversary at a job I helped them prep for.

They replied:

PS- Its good NOT seeing you!😁 Seriously though, very few people in my life have been exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. You have been one of the few and I greatly appreciate it.

08/06/2026

Anyone had an interview like this? (LOL!}

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2461962590893413/?fs=e&fs=e

08/03/2026

I've told many people how when I was laid off by a company the HR guy apologized to me. I thought he was apologizing for laying me off. No, he apologized because he didn't want to hire me.

He told me how the VP, the manager, and HR had an agreement to hire the person they all agreed upon. The vote had to be 3-0. In my case the vote was 2-1.

But, the VP advocated strongly for me. He knew me from a previous job. He was my champion. He persuaded the HR guy to change his mind; so, I was hired. And at my exit interview, the HR guy told me how I did a good job and they were sorry to have to let me go.

When you apply for jobs who is in you corner? Do you have anyone who can be more than just a referral; who can actually advocate for you?

Most of us don't.

This article discusses how one builds a network of advocates, not just references.

A seasoned higher education professional reflects on the importance of having advocates who can speak on your behalf when you are n

07/20/2026

The dog days of August approach. It’s hot. People are on vacation.
And it seems job-seekers are taking a break as well.

I think it’s OK to slow down or take a brief pause from the job search, but don’t stop looking; don’t stop trying; keep networking and chatting with people.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

07/01/2026

Can a small change to your introduction make a big difference?

This morning at the annual NCDA conference, I walked to a microphone to ask the keynote speaker a question. I had noted how each previous questioner had introduced themself concisely—-name and company. I decided to do that as well. In my head I said my name and my company, Getstart-ed.

And then for some reason, I spoke into microphone, “Ed Lawrence, Framingham Public Library.”
This was not a lie. I work for the library part-time. The bulk of my clients contact me via the library.

I asked my question, which the keynote speaker really seemed to like, and returned to my seat.
And within a moment I received a LinkedIn connection from a librarian who was in the audience.
That led to a lunch invitation with two other librarians.
And it turned out the group was going to The Post Modern Times restaurant, which one of the librarians had read about in the New York Times.

In short, because I made a last-second decision to change my introduction, I immediately made a mew LI connection, had a fantastic lunch experience at a restaurant dedicated to helping a threatened community, and made three new friends.

Isn’t networking fantastic?!

06/17/2026

Young Americans have a gloomier outlook on their job prospects than their older colleagues, creating a wider optimism gap than any other country surveyed by Gallup.

The big picture: The very existence of that chasm between pessimistic younger Americans and more positive older people is itself an outlier, with double-digit gaps present only in five other places of the 141 polled.

Elsewhere, younger people are more positive, or the generations' sentiments are more aligned.

When President Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping met last month to discuss the world's two largest economies, they already had one thing in common: Their young people are far more discouraged than their parents.

By the numbers: Only 43% of those aged 15 to 34 in the U.S. thought it was a good time to find a job locally in 2025 compared to 64% of those 55 and older — a 21-point gap.

There is a 12-point gap between China's older and younger generations, and similar divides in Serbia, the UAE, Hong Kong and Norway.
The global median is a 10-point divide, except it's the older adults who are more pessimistic.

Reality check: Younger Americans rated their job prospects lower earlier in the 2000s, but they were still more positive than older people.

They were also more positive than a significant share of their peers globally in 2025, ranking 87th out of the 141 countries surveyed.
In South Korea last year, just 28% of the youth said it was a good time to find a job — but that was on par with the 25% of those 55 and up who agreed.

06/06/2026

Bachaud said the widening gap between openings and hires points to ongoing skills mismatches, particularly as employers seek workers with expertise in emerging technologies. “Rather than simply eliminating jobs, the rapid adoption of AI tools is creating new categories of specialized roles that require specific technical skills that the current workforce doesn’t yet have in abundance,” she said.

Job openings surged to a nearly two-year high in April, but hiring slowed as employers remain cautious amid AI-driven skill gaps and economic uncertainty.

05/24/2026

Recent uptick in prospect inquiries. About 2/3 have signed on with getstart-ed.
Library business is steady, as usual.
My LinkedIn search results total remains high.

As usual, I'm taking this week off. No appointments.

Happy Memorial Day (weekend) to all.
I hope everyone remembers to even for a few seconds to remember why this holiday exists.

Then I hope they will remember why those people died---that is, the ideals and values they died to defend.