Bet you never thought a hit TV show from the mid-2000s would be a well of job search advice as it relates to the Engagement piece of the R.I.S.E.E. Job Search Framework.

In the prior article, the concept that your job search is not a switch, but a dial was introduced. At 10, it was marketing and at 1, it was branding. The notion to move from the either on/off job search was predicated on looking at historical and projected employment trends for the white collar professional. In short, growth will be more modest and the time between roles will likely remain higher than any of us would like.

Using a job search methodology of only looking when you must, is no longer the best response to a marketplace that has fundamentally changed and will only continue to evolve.

What Would Don Say

The dial at 10? That’s where Don Draper would raise an eyebrow, pour a drink, and say:

"If you're at 10, you're not waiting around. You're pitching. You're positioning. You're closing the loop."

So what would Don suggest for a job seeker operating at full intensity?

  1. Tailor your story. Customize the summary section of your resume and cover letter every time you apply, not because you're desperate, but because you're intentional. Generic is invisible. Specific gets interviews.

  2. Control the room. Reach out to hiring managers or key decision-makers with personalized messages. Don wouldn’t wait for a call. He’d make one and he’d open with a hook. The hook should satisfy a need.

  3. Be where the attention is. Post original content that shows how you think. Comment with insight, not just agreement. When you create conversation, you create opportunity.

Dial 10 is about clarity and momentum. It’s not passive. It’s presence with purpose.

The dial at 1? That’s where Don Draper leans back, stares out the window, and lets the idea simmer before the pitch.

"If you're at 1, you're not selling yet. You're positioning. You're shaping perception before you ever walk into the room."

Here’s what branding looks like when you're barely touching the dial:

  1. Refresh your image. Tweak your LinkedIn headline or About section so it reflects the version of you that you're becoming, not just the role you had. Your LinkedIn profile is not a tombstone.

  2. Be seen, softly. Like or comment on posts from people in your field. Visibility without the noise.

  3. Drop breadcrumbs. Share one article a week with a sentence or two of context. Signal that you’re engaged, even if you’re not chasing anything yet.

Dial 1 is presence without pressure. It’s the quiet prelude to momentum.

Have it Your Way

Hold the pickles. Hold the lettuce. The job search dial is made to order.

You're in control of how far you turn it and when.

Where you are on the dial is a function of what you need, when you need it. Just like a made-to-order burger, this isn't about one-size-fits-all. It's about designing a job search strategy that works with your current bandwidth, your goals, and your readiness to act.

Is there a system to follow? Absolutely. And it starts with understanding the relationship between friction and freedom.

The closer you are to 1, the more freedom you have. Low friction. Minimal time investment. You're staying visible, not actively chasing.

The closer you are to 10, the more friction you're managing. More time, more intention, more effort. You're actively marketing yourself and pushing the dial.

That middle space from 4 to 7 is where most professionals live when they’re passively open to opportunities. It’s not about full-time job hunting. It’s about measured momentum.

This is where you start building systems: time-blocking weekly check-ins, setting up smart alerts, reaching out to one person a week, or curating one piece of content a month. It’s about consistency without burnout.

And just like Don, you’re still telling a story. You’re just letting the suspense build a little longer.

Just Schedule It

Here’s a simple matrix to help you align your current dial setting with intentional, time-bound activities. The closer you are to 1, the less time and friction you’ll encounter. The closer you are to 10, the more effort and investment it will require. At 8 and 9, you are employed but looking and at 10, you're likely unemployed and actively marketing yourself every day.

AI as Alka-Seltzer

Moving from a switch to a dial. The job search always being on and never zero. Trying to find a way to balance yet something else that you should incorporate into your life can be overwhelming. So plop, plop, fizz, fizz use AI to be the relief that it truly is.

But AI can do more than relieve pressure. It can amplify your focus. It can help you stay consistent. It's your assistant, strategist, sounding board and time-saver all in one and it's ready whenever you are.

Whether you're at 1, 10, or somewhere in between, let AI be your force multiplier.

Sample Prompts by Dial Level

Branding (Dial 1–3):

  • "Help me write a short LinkedIn post about [topic] that shows I'm active in my industry."

  • "Suggest 3 small ways I can stay visible on LinkedIn without sounding like I'm job searching."

  • "Rewrite my LinkedIn headline to be more future-facing but still tied to my current role."

Blended (Dial 4–7):

  • "Draft a message to reconnect with a former colleague about what's new in our industry."

  • "Give me 5 questions to ask during a virtual networking session that show thoughtfulness."

  • "Review this resume bullet and make it more results-oriented."

Marketing (Dial 8–10):

  • "Here's a job description. Tailor my resume summary to match the language."

  • "Create a cover letter draft using my resume and this job posting."

  • "Mock interview me for this role—ask me behavioral and technical questions."

Let the dial guide your time. Let AI support your strategy and be your 24/7 job search partner.

Person to Person

That was the title of the final episode of Mad Men. And while it ended with a Coca-Cola commercial, it began with something more important…trying to connect.

Don Draper spends that episode on the phone, reaching out to the people who shaped his life: Peggy, Betty, Sally, and more. Your job search is the same. Behind every post you reply to, every message you send, and every resume you send, you’re just doing what Don did. And if Don Draper taught us anything, it’s that the best stories aren’t about what something is. They’re about why it matters.

The dial helps you manage your pace. AI can help you manage the process. But your story? That still has to come from you.

Because the job search isn’t just a numbers game. It’s about finding that connection…Person to Person.