🤝 The Referral Comeback

Hi, Hustle Heroes! 🦸 Your network just got a plot twist. As AI makes applications easier to generate, referrals are regaining value—because “I know someone” can still beat “I submitted my résumé.”

Recognition shouldn’t be something that happens once a quarter or whenever HR reminds everyone to do it.

Flaree helps teams turn appreciation into an everyday habit. Employees can recognize each other with personalized Flaree cards tied to the behaviors and values that matter to your company, while points, badges and leaderboards add a layer of visibility and motivation.

Built for hybrid and distributed teams, Flaree makes recognition easy to give, easy to see and meaningful to receive, whether your team uses Flaree Web, mobile, or the optional Slack integration.

Make appreciation part of the way your team works.

◉ TODAY’S TASK 
Water One Old Connection 🌱 — Send a former colleague a useful article or quick note. Small touchpoints keep relationships alive.

◉ THE CAREER SIGNAL

“The middle of the market is where the pressure is showing.”

Indeed's September market data shows higher-paying occupations gaining momentum while low- and middle-wage wage growth has been comparatively flat.

→ Your key takeaway: If your pay has plateaued, don't automatically assume you need to work harder. See whether your current role sits in a slower-moving part of the market and whether a specialization or lateral move could change your trajectory.

◉ THE WORK PULSE - Headlines to take note of

💻 Digital Skills Are Paying More — HCA Mag

• What’s unfolding: Research from Indeed and the ADB finds advanced digital skills, including AI and programming, are linked to meaningful pay premiums.

• Why it matters: Digital fluency is becoming a career baseline. Build AI or data skills alongside communication and problem-solving to stay valuable.

🤖 Verizon Bets High on AI Skills — PhoneArena

• What’s unfolding: Verizon is investing $ 70M in free AI training for workers, jobseekers and small businesses through major education and technology partners.

• Why it matters: AI upskilling is becoming workforce infrastructure. Find out whether your employer offers free training before paying out of pocket.

🏦 BofA Plans 1,000 Apprentices — TradersUnion

• What’s unfolding: The BofA plans to hire 1,000 apprentices over two years and invest $ 150M in workforce development.

• Why it matters: Apprenticeships are expanding beyond traditional trades. If you're changing careers, look for earn-while-you-learn pathways.

◉ TOOL TO TRY

Meet the tool: Notion Agents

• What it does: Creates AI agents that can answer questions, route tasks, generate updates and automate recurring workflows using your Notion workspace and connected tools.

• Who should care: Operations, project management, HR, marketing, sales, founders and knowledge workers.

• Time to learn: 1–2 hours.

◉ JOB SEARCH - Worth a read

Decoding Salary Ranges

See a 65k to 95k range on a job posting? Don’t automatically assume you’re headed for the middle. Where you land can depend on experience, skills, seniority, internal pay equity and even the employer’s budget.

Learn how to read the range like a recruiter—and use it to negotiate smarter.

📌 See where you’d land »

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👩‍💼 The Path to Becoming an HR Manager

⏱️ Earning More In Between Gigs

✏️ How to Edit a PDF Résumé Without Breaking the Format

📬 Missed the previous issue on ‘Getting Noticed at Work’? Read it »

—Created with care by Vivienne Ravana