Ten skills that employers want

The landing page for Purple Squirrel makes a huge promise: “Land a $100K job with no connections.”

The next line spells out how: “Purchase time with real employees at the best companies in the world to get your foot in the door and learn the tips you need to get hired quickly.”

In this case, pay to play makes sense if you want to break into the likes of Facebook, Tesla, Deloitte, or another of the more than 500 companies that have employee advocates on Purple Squirrel’s platform, according to its cofounder and CEO, Jon Silber. An advocate is a current employee, but doesn’t formally represent the employer. Rather, they act as a paid mentor for 30-minute phone consultations.