High Agency Students 🚀
Written by Jeff Howell
If you’re reading this somebody cares about your future.And this one-page website will change your life.But first, what’s your main problem?This…
Yep, the job market sucks.And only 6 of the 250 will get interviews.And those 6 all might get ghosted - the position may not even get filled.But I've got tons of good news on this website.Starting with the fact that less than 1% of your competition is high agency.And you my friend are about to become high agency today.Right now.So what is high agency?
99% of students treat the job search like picture A.High agency students are receiving multiple job offers with picture B.Most people are not even aware of agency.High agency people just have it and it's the way they have always been.Low agency people think everyone is just like them.And they simply follow the rules of society.But once you're conscious of what agency is...You realize you have agency over your agency.And that's where you can unlock new levels in the game of life.
Good Agency and Bad Agency...
Crazy to think humans put a man on the moon before wheels on a suitcase.Why did this happen?In one case the need to think big.In the other, this is the way it's always been done.A student job search is no different - all students are doing the EXACT. SAME. THING.
High Agency People...
Have weird hobbies - not afraid to be different from others.They send you the strangest content - where TF do they find this stuff?Have opinions you can’t guess - they don’t fall into traditional stereotypes.They quit something esteemed - like dropping out of a prestigious school to pursue something else.They aren’t tricked by groupthink - they verify everything on their own.They are self-taught sponges of new information.They question the question.
High Agency Ingredients
These are the 3 ingredients.You need all 3 to have high agency.
The Best Job Application Ever
Meet Fearless Girl.
Fearless Girl was a campaign put on by the advertising agency McCann.She was intended to send a message about workplace gender diversity.She was installed in March 2017 on Broadway across from the Charging Bull sculpture.Jade Delaney has entered the chat.A copywriting intern that brought Fearless Girl to Life as part of her application to McCann.
Jade reached out on social media to McCann the night before.
Being in the PR business, the executives saw a "golden" photo opportunity.
This high agency move hit the press.
And then it took off on Twitter, and was covered by major news outlets...
Overkill for a summer job?Of course.But her high agency didn't just land her that job.This is a sample of her existing clients for her own business...
She wasn't applying for that job, she was making herself a brand.Here is what her website looks like today for her own agency.She will always be known as being fearless.
The 2nd Best Application Ever
Jack Oremus wanted to work at Yes Theory.Yes Theory is all about challenging people to do bold things.So Jack made them this video...
That video currently has over 200,000 views.Additionally, Jack created a Google Sheet to list his ideas for Yes Theory.He was being more helpful than many of the existing employees.And he was showing them how great he is, he wasn't telling them which is what most students do in interviews.
Why this stuff works
Before you land your first job you have a tendency to think adults are competent.But in fact, 50% are below average at work.And the bottom 10% are totally useless at work.
And only about 1% are Superstars.So showing up in the application process like Jade and Jack give a glimpse to the employer that you're a future Level 5 Superstar.Stars ooze agency.
Real Life Applications
Ok so now that I've showed you the Agency Hall of Fame, it's time to scale it back.Because most students won't do wild stunts like the ones above, but there are TONS of ways to improve what you're currently doing.
🔥 The Quick Wins
1) Ditch the standard resume 🤮
The whole point is to STAND OUT not BLEND IN.So why the &#%$ would you use the exact same template as everyone else?Answer: because my guidance counsellor told me so.Question the question: when was the last ^&#@ing time they applied for a job?Here is the best resume I have ever seen - I shared this with dozens of people internally.The resume was not made for me as it was specific for TSN - but I discovered that Anthony has agency...and I hired him.Dozens of my colleagues were eager to meet him before he started and he already had a halo effect.Agency walks through the door before you do.
If you're worried about bigger companies not being able to scan a graphical resume, then have two versions.Just remember - half the time you're presenting your resume it's in an informal setting like a coffee chat - not a formal job interview.So why be boring and unmemorable?
2) Flip the funnel 👀
Let me guess - you spend about 5 minutes applying to jobs on LinkedIn and you use a Google Sheet to update your list.As an employer I can tell.We recently posted a job and received 209 applicants.Two high agency people included cover letters.They both got interviews, one got the job.They each only spent one extra minute doing a search replace for the company name on their standard template.But it was at least a signal of higher agency than the other 207.Don't apply for 200 jobs, hoping 10 interviews, and 1 job.Do a 10x better job at applying to 10x fewer jobs.
3) Use Airtable instead of a spreadsheet 🫨
High agency people find better tools and then learn how to use them.Low agency people use what everyone else is using and don't question anything.Airtable is far superior to track and move projects along.Here is a sample screen shot of people I am interested in staying in touch with - students should have an employer version of this.
Airtable is free.Be high agency and sign up.
4) Use Perplexity.ai instead of chatGPT 🤔
The herd is using chatGPT.Ballers are using Perplexity.It's the best research tool out there - and getting a job means you should be doing lots of research on potential employers.
5) Become obsessed with udemy.com 🤓
95% of students haven't even heard of Udemy.It's the # 1 marketplace of online courses.I have hired 100% of the students I have come across that have Udemy certifcations on their resume.It's a sign of high agency that they found out about this, enrolled in courses, and FINISHED them.All hurdles to being high agency.
6) Use video in your outreach 📽️
99.99% of emails are text only.In order to have success, people have to know you, like you, and trust you.This is me as a sales rep booking meetings with short videos.The market leaders are Vidyard and Loom - both are good.
Bonus: LinkedIn has a native video option - available only on the mobile app.
Since it's right within your phone:a) It's free.b) The video does not take you to a website - it's easy for the recipient to watch right away (and reply within LinkedIn).
7) Get a calendar link 📆
Solopreneurs that are in the personal branding space have to be high agency.So follow their lead.They make it very easy for people to be able to schedule a time.
On the other hand, most students don't even know they can unlock secret sections on their Linked In pages.So edit your Linked In banner section, and insert a link to your calendar page (get a free account).Calendly is the standard, but high agency people also know about DaySchedule and SimplyBook.me.Here is what my calendar page looks like...
Here is a great example of me being out-agencied by Nausheen who tells her prospects how she can be helpful prior to them selecting a time on the calendar...
And then as you scroll that area, you discover she also has some social proof and case studies, helping you become convinced she's high agency.💥 Boom!
So I have decided to out-agency her by signing up at VideoAsk.com and integrating my Hubspot calendar page to be paired with a free video - so people can see and hear me before deciding to meet.🚨 high agency police are at the scene
Check out the link below that will bring you to that booking page.I have a free account so what you're looking at could be done by you for free as well.
8) Stop Asking for Coffee Dates ☕
Asking for a coffee date is low agency.The recipient doesn't really want to spend time with strangers.When they say yes, it is usually charitable.And then the odds of a second meeting are super slim.So then what was the point?
You see coffee dates are very expensive for the recipient.YOU end up getting a healthy amount of their time and a lot of their opinions.They typically don't get much in return.Your goals are completely inverted.Instead you should be focused on what is a way I can get some information from them at a very low cost of their time.Here is an example:I applied to a couple roles at a company.I then connected with as many employees as I possibly could.Some people accepted.This is the message I followed up with:
I didn't ask for 30 minutes of her time...I asked for 30 seconds via a quick reply.I got a micro-yes.And then I kept the conversation going.She then referred me to the hiring manager and included a screen shot of the message to that person:
BTW I had already been rejected from those jobs.But my agency didn't allow me to accept it.I had an interview with Elisa the next day.
9) Fix your LinkedIn banner 😮
Back to experts in personal branding.They don't have generic background banners.They have bold statements and "straplines".Examples:
This is a physical security expert who got job offers at huge companies that he didn't deserve until he started marketing himself as a high agency person would.
This is his copywriter.She introduced him to the concept of a strapline.
Another one of Dina's clients.See how they are all speaking to the problem they solve for the target audience.You too have skills you can be promoting as the solution to your ideal company's problems.
Instead most students just use a campus photo of their school.Which represents the past.Employers want know about the future.
10) Add value 🧠
Low agency students think they are "just a student".High agency thinkers ask Perplexity what problems a business likely has and what potential solutions may exist.Then they approach those companies with their research and ideas.If you want to earn a full on coffee date, then think about how you can bring something to them they haven't been thinking about.You're not just a student.You are now high agency.
About Me 👋
Hey there - I'm Jeff Howell, Advocate for students everywhere.I've spoken across Canada at multiple Universities and have been responsible for hundreds of students at companies I have worked with.I see the same struggles over and over and Colleges and Universities are failing students on the last mile of the race - actually getting a job with your degree.All my advice is based on stuff I've tried myself and I've seen tons of students turn their life around by implementing these ideas.I welcome you to click the LinkedIn icon below, connect and let me know you read this website 💪.And if you're truly high agency, you'll be the kind of person to send this advice along to someone who could really benefit from it 🙂.