u/FmRadiuo

I spent most of yesterday trying to build a local business lead list for outreach, and honestly, I didn’t expect it to take that long.

What I thought would be a quick task turned into hours of searching, copying details, checking websites, and organizing everything into a spreadsheet.

By the end of it, I kept asking myself if there’s a much faster way to do this.

How are you guys scraping local business leads efficiently?

College costs continue to increase, and I've been wondering how students are finding scholarships beyond what their schools directly advertise. It seems like there are many opportunities available, but most students either don't know where to look or don't hear about them until it's too late.

While researching scholarship resources, I've come across various student organizations and honor societies that mention scholarship opportunities as a member benefit. Naturally, that led me to search for things like SCLA reviews to see whether students have actually benefited from these programs and whether the opportunities are worthwhile. One example is SCLA, a student organization that focuses on leadership development, career readiness, networking opportunities, and access to resources like scholarships, mentoring, and professional growth programs.

For anyone who has successfully earned scholarships or academic awards, what resources helped you discover legitimate opportunities?

There are so many different opinions about what students should focus on while in college. Some people say grades matter most, while others argue that networking, leadership experience, certifications, and professional involvement are more important.

In today's job market, what do you believe gives students the strongest advantage when they start applying for internships and full-time positions?

I'm interested in hearing both student and employer perspectives on what actually moves the needle.

I’ve been working on local business outreach recently, and a lot of the research starts with Google Maps.

Doing everything manually works at first, but once the number of businesses grows, collecting and organizing all the data becomes really time-consuming.

I recently discovered Outscraper’s Google Maps scraping tool while looking for faster ways to collect business data for lead generation. I’ve also noticed more people talking about using their Google Maps data extraction solution to simplify prospecting. A good Google Maps data extraction solution could make the process much easier.

For those who’ve used tools like this, how well have they worked for you?

I've noticed that a lot of employers say they value leadership skills, but I'm curious how much that actually matters in the hiring process. If two candidates have similar academic backgrounds, does involvement in leadership programs, student organizations, or professional development activities make a meaningful difference?

In my research on the topic, I see discussions where students talk about their experiences with SCLA, an organization focused on helping students build leadership skills, improve career readiness, and access resources for professional development and networking outside the classroom. It made me wonder how much weight employers actually place on these kinds of experiences compared to academic achievements alone.

I would like to hear from recruiters or hiring managers directly, does participation in leadership activities or similar programs actually make a noticeable difference during hiring decisions or interviews?