📖 Turn Hidden Hiring Signals Into Interviews (A Playbook)

Hello there 😎 

You voted.

The message was clear: you want more tactical advice on turning hiring signals into actual job opportunities:

Let’s do it.

Last week, I showed you how to use AI to spot five key hiring signals:

• 💰 Funding Announcements

• 🌎 Geographic Expansion

• 👔 Leadership Changes

• 🚀 Product Launches & Partnerships

• 📈 Revenue Growth Signals

This week, we'll go deeper into execution.

Here's what you'll learn today:

• 🎯 Proven playbooks to stand out from other candidates and land interviews

• 💡 Exactly how to leverage AI tools strategically in your job search

• ⚡ Actionable templates and scripts you can use immediately to turn company news into opportunities

...and more!

But first, let's look at some open roles I'm excited about.

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• 🧠 How to write resumes and cover letters for people AND the ATS

• 🎯 Reach the right people directly (even if you don’t have a big network)

• 📬 Send better outreach messages with smart tools that do the heavy lifting

• 🚀 Build a simple job search system so you don’t waste time or burn out

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🤖 What AI Can (and Can't) Do For You

When I shared those five hiring signals last week, it's tempting to jump straight back to AI for your next step:

Not so fast.

I'm telling you: this is not going to work.

Here's what ChatGPT will tell you to write:

What this reminds me of:

In a word: fake.

AI is amazing for research, but terrible for authentic human connection. And that's what job searching is all about: making real connections with decision-makers.

Let me walk you through three end-to-end workflows for turning hiring signals into actual interviews.

These aren't theoretical!

There are actual playbooks you can run immediately when you spot your next opportunity.

🚀 Workflow #1: Capitalizing on Funding Announcements

When companies raise money, they hire. This creates a perfect opportunity window for job seekers who know how to approach it strategically.

Step 1: Signal Detection

👉 Use Perplexity to find companies with recent funding:

Let's say this reveals a B2B SaaS company that just secured $20M in Series B funding. The news is only three days old—perfect timing.

Step 2: Target Research

Once you've identified the company, find the right person to contact:

• For Series A/B companies (or under 100 employees): Target the CEO or department head

• For Series C+ (or 100+ employees): Target the relevant VP or director

For this example, let's say you identify the VP of Growth as your target. Using LinkedIn and the company's blog, you discover:

• She's been with the company for 18 months

• She previously led growth at a similar-stage startup

• She's written a Medium article about user activation challenges in SaaS

Step 3: Expertise Demonstration

This is where most people go wrong.

They express interest.

But no one cares about “your interest.”

What works 10x better? Demonstrating your expertise.

In this example, you could create a simple one-page growth framework specifically for the company's product, including:

• Three actionable strategies to improve user activation

• A simplified implementation timeline

• Estimated impact based on industry benchmarks

The key: This isn't generic advice. It's tailored to the company's specific product and growth challenges.

Step 4: Personalization Research

The research that powers your personalization doesn't need to be complex. Start with the basics:

• Google the person and company

• Check LinkedIn, Twitter (X), blogs

• Read recent company blog posts and news

Here are creative examples:

• One client, Eric connected with a hiring manager after mentioning they were both Jocko Willink podcast fans (spotted on Twitter)

• Another, Jess, referenced a specific restaurant near her contact's college campus (they went to the same school)

If you’re struggling, you can layer on AI tools to go deeper.

🧰 Recommended tools:

👉 With Perplexity, dig deeper into the VP's background.

This might reveal an Medium article about activation challenges in B2B software, which gives you the perfect conversation starter.

Step 5: Outreach

✍️ Here's a script you could use:

This approach shows you've done your homework, demonstrates your expertise, and makes a clear, low-pressure ask.

🌎 Workflow #2: Leveraging Geographic Expansion Signals

When companies expand to new regions, they need people who understand those markets. This creates perfect opportunities for candidates with relevant regional experience.

Step 1: Signal Detection

👉 Set up a Feedly feed with this search string:

Add relevant news sources like TechCrunch, Business Insider, and industry-specific publications.

Now, imagine you spot a SaaS company announcing expansion into the German market, a region where you have previous experience.

Step 2: Target Research

For geographic expansion, target either:

• The executive leading the expansion

• The head of the regional office

• The global head of the function you're targeting

In this scenario, you might identify the newly appointed Head of EMEA Operations, who has just joined from a competitor.

Step 3: Expertise Demonstration

Create a "Market Entry Checklist" specific to Germany, including:

• Local compliance requirements you've navigated before

• Cultural marketing adjustments that worked in your experience

• German business etiquette tips

• Common pitfalls to avoid (with real examples)

This is a concrete demonstration of expertise.

And it’s a step-level change better than toggling on “German proficiency” on LinkedIn.

Step 4: Personalization Research

All the same research techniques we mentioned before, apply here as well. Let’s say from LinkedIn, you might discover that the Head of EMEA:

• Studied at the same university as you (different years) or

• Worked at two companies where you have connections or

• Is active in a specific industry association

Any of these details can be your inside track to making a connection with this person.

Step 5: Outreach

✍️ Here's a script you could use:

This approach combines your expertise with a personal connection point and offers immediate value.

📢 Quick note:

If you're still reading, that means you're getting value from this newsletter, which makes me happy 😊!

If you are, consider sharing this with a friend who could use help landing their next role.

I would really appreciate it (and they would too.)

Okay, onto the last workflow:

👔 Workflow #3: Using Leadership Changes

New leaders bring new visions, priorities, and hiring needs. The first 90 days after a leadership change represent a unique window of opportunity.

Step 1: Signal Detection

👉 Use Clay to monitor leadership changes:

Set up a Clay table tracking your target companies, then create an automated workflow that alerts you when C-level or VP-level changes happen.

Let's say you spot that a health tech company just hired a new Chief Product Officer from a major competitor.

Step 2: Target Research

For leadership changes, you have two options:

• Target the new leader directly

• Target their direct reports who might be involved in building the team

For a company under 200 employees, targeting the new CPO directly makes sense.

Step 3: Expertise Demonstration

Create a short case study showing how you've solved a similar problem to what the company is facing:

• Identify a key product challenge from their public roadmap

• Outline your approach to solving it at your previous company

• Include specific metrics and outcomes

• Keep it to one page with clear visuals

The key is specificity. You want to address an actual problem the new CPO would likely be focused on.

Step 4: Personalization Research

👉 Use this Perplexity prompt:

This might reveal a podcast where the CPO discussed their product discovery methodology and plans to bring it to the new company.

Step 5: Outreach

✍️ Here's a script you could use:

This approach shows you understand their philosophy, have implemented similar approaches successfully, and can help with current challenges.

💫 The Bottom Line

The workflows I've shared today give you a complete playbook for turning hiring signals into interviews.

We looked at signals like funding announcements, expansion and leadership changes, but these apply to all signals.

Each workflow follows five essential steps:

1. Signal detection (finding the opportunity)

2. Target research (identifying the right person)

3. Expertise demonstration (creating relevant material)

4. Personalization research (finding connection points)

5. Outreach (sending the perfect message)

What makes these approaches successful isn't just what you say, but the preparation that goes into each message—and how AI makes that easier.

By demonstrating specific expertise and making genuine connections, you transform from "another applicant" into a valuable potential hire.

Pick ONE workflow and run through the corresponding workflow this week. Then review the results and iterate.

Remember: the more signals you spot and the better you execute on them, the less you'll depend on the whims of job boards and ATS systems.

Which workflow will you try first? Hit reply and let me know!

Talk soon 👋

I love meeting new people. Say hi on LinkedIn 👋

🤝 When you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you with remote work:

That’s a wrap. See you next week 👋