User Guide: Leads & Networking

This guide explains how to use the Leads subsystem in Kandid.pro to manage your proactive networking efforts and turn connections into opportunities.

The Benefit: Why Focus on Networking?

Many of the best job opportunities are never advertised publicly. Proactive networking—building relationships with people at companies you want to work for—is the most effective way to uncover these hidden roles. The Leads subsystem is a dedicated CRM for your networking pipeline.

• Systematize Your Outreach: It provides a structured way to track every potential opportunity, from a person you met at an event to a hiring manager you identified on LinkedIn.
• Never Miss a Follow-up: By setting reminders and tracking interaction history, you ensure that promising connections don't go cold.
• Visualize Your Pipeline: See all your networking efforts in one place and understand which stage each lead is in, from initial discovery to a secured referral.
• Connect Efforts to Outcomes: The system allows you to formally convert a warm lead into a job application, giving you a clear line of sight from your networking activity to a tangible opportunity.

How to Use the Leads Subsystem

1. Create a New Lead

A "Lead" represents a potential opportunity that isn't a formal job application yet. This could be a person, a team, or a role you're targeting.

1. Navigate to the Leads section of the application.
2. Click "New Lead".
3. Fill in the details:
   • Target Role: The job title you are interested in (e.g., "Senior Software Engineer").
   • Target Company: The company where the opportunity might be.
   • Source: Where did you find this lead? (e.g., LINKEDIN, NETWORKING_EVENT, REFERRAL).
   • Temperature: How promising is the lead? Set it to HOT, WARM, or COLD. This helps you prioritize your efforts.
   • Notes: Add any relevant context or information.

2. Manage the Lead Lifecycle

Once created, a lead moves through a distinct lifecycle. Update the status as you make progress.

• DISCOVERY: You've identified a potential lead but haven't made contact yet.
• WAKING_UP: You've initiated first contact (e.g., sent a LinkedIn message, sent an email).
• WARM_LEAD: You've established a two-way conversation and are actively nurturing the relationship.
• REFERRAL_SECURED: Your contact has agreed to refer you for a role.
• CONVERTED: The lead has been turned into a formal job application within Kandid.pro.
• ARCHIVED: The lead is no longer active, but you want to keep its history.

3. Log Interactions and Set Follow-ups

This is the most critical part of managing your network.

1. Open a Lead: From your leads list, click on the lead you want to update.
2. Log an Interaction: In the interactions panel, add a new entry for every touchpoint:
   • Type: Was it an EMAIL, PHONE_CALL, MEETING, or MESSAGE?
   • Summary: Briefly describe the interaction.
   • Discussion Nuggets: Capture key pieces of information you learned.
   • Sentiment: Was the interaction POSITIVE, NEUTRAL, or NEGATIVE? This helps you gauge progress.
   • Next Action: Define your next step (e.g., "Send follow-up email with portfolio link").
3. Set a Follow-up Date: Use the nextFollowUpAt field on the lead to schedule a reminder for your next action. The system will flag leads as "stale" if you don't interact with them regularly, and they will appear in your "Stale Lead Report" on the dashboard.

4. Link Leads to Contacts and Companies

As you learn more, associate your lead with other records in your CRM.

• Link a Contact: If your lead is a specific person, link it to their record in your Contacts list.
• Link a Company: Associate the lead with a Company profile to keep all related information together.

5. Convert a Lead into a Job Application

When your networking pays off and a real job opportunity materializes, convert the lead.

1. Open the Lead that you're ready to convert.
2. Select "Convert to Application".
3. Provide Job Details: Add the formal job title and a link to the job description if available.
4. Confirm Conversion: The system will:
   • Create a new JobApplication record.
   • Automatically transfer all your interaction notes and history to the new application.
   • Mark the lead's status as CONVERTED.

This creates a seamless transition from proactive networking to the formal application process, preserving all the valuable context you've gathered.