Stop applying for jobs & do this instead

Listen now (39 mins)

Author

Milly Tamati
August 15, 2025

📢Yipeee! International Generalist Day is BACK!! 📢 

Mark your calendars for Sep 3rd!

Listen now:
Spotify // Apple // YouTube

Simran is an automation expert and fintech professional who shows how generalists can build successful careers. She currently works full-time in fintech while also helping several clients with their business systems. She's great at setting up automated processes and building real professional relationships. Her career started early - she ran a baking business in middle school, worked at an AI startup in 2019, and became the first employee at a fintech company after reaching out to the founder multiple times. At Generalist World, she manages automation systems, helps build the community, and creates ways for people to try new career experiments. She also built a program at a venture capital company to support women entrepreneurs.

What you'll learn:

  1. How to get jobs by building relationships instead of just filling out online applications

  2. How to figure out what companies need and show them you can solve their problems

  3. Ways to juggle multiple projects without getting burned out using simple scheduling tricks

  4. How to use automation tools like Zapier to make your work easier and more efficient

  5. Why future workers will either be super specialized or really good at many things

  6. How to think critically and check facts when AI gives you information

  7. Why being genuine online works better than trying to game social media algorithms

  8. How to test out new career ideas with small experiments instead of making big commitments

Some takeaways:

Building relationships beats sending tons of job applications: Skip LinkedIn's easy apply button. Instead, research companies, identify their problems, and reach out with solutions. Stay persistent but respectful, help before asking, and personalize every message. This approach got Simran every major opportunity, from her first fintech job to current clients.

Being the person who connects teams prevents expensive mistakes: Many startups fail because teams don't communicate. Marketing launches campaigns sales knows nothing about. Simran creates simple systems so when one person acts, the right people automatically know without information overload.

Taking smart risks means building your network before you need it: When Simran moved to San Francisco during COVID with few connections, she learned to build relationships in target cities before relocating. Even one college contact can make a huge difference when starting over.

Learning automation tools gives you a big advantage: Managing 10,000+ automated tasks monthly, Simran tells beginners to "push tools until they break" to understand limits. This hands-on approach reveals where automation helps versus where humans still make better decisions.

The future job market will split into two clear groups: Workers will become either super specialized experts or skilled generalists, with less middle ground. Get good at switching between work types quickly while building expertise in 1-2 areas. Even personal experiences count as valuable expertise.

Thinking for yourself becomes more important as AI gets better: AI treats all sources as equally trustworthy, so develop better fact-checking and judgment. Simran calls this "taste" - filtering information through experience. Use AI for efficiency but never outsource core thinking or personality.

Managing multiple projects without burning out requires clear boundaries: After 100+ hour weeks led to exhaustion, Simran learned to dedicate specific days to different work types. Keep client work separate from personal time and don't feel guilty saying no. Doing fewer things well beats doing everything poorly.

Building real community beats chasing social media numbers: Focus on genuine relationships over likes and followers. Decide your social media goal - real connections or maximum reach - then create content matching that purpose instead of following generic growth advice.

Small experiments help you explore interests without getting overwhelmed: Treat new ideas as time-limited experiments with clear success measures. This lets you systematically explore interests while making progress and removes pressure to pursue every opportunity immediately.

Where to find Simran

Where to find Milly

Generalist World resources:

🙏 Special thanks to our podcast producer James McKinven! (get in touch for all your podcast needs, he’s really great!)

📍I live, work and build from the Scottish highlands

Reply

or to participate.