How to Navigate Job Board Application Barriers

If you've sent out 200+ applications in the past six months and all you've heard is silence, it's not bad luck ~ it’s a sign you need to change your approach! I’ve had clients come to me after blasting out hundreds of resumes with zero results, and my advice is always the same: stop relying on job boards alone and start diversifying your strategy!! Here’s what I’ve seen work and what I'm recommending: 1. Build real connections (this is the game-changer). Most jobs are filled through referrals or internal hires. If you’re not networking, you’re competing against hundreds (or thousands) of applicants. Instead: - Reach out to hiring managers directly. - Talk to employees at companies you admire. - Join industry Slack groups, Discords, and networking events. Many Slack communities have exclusive job postings and hiring managers actively looking for talent. 2. Make LinkedIn work for you. I’ve seen candidates land jobs just by being active. If you’re only applying but never posting, commenting, or optimizing your profile, you’re invisible. Show up and engage ~ hiring managers are watching! 3. Pitch yourself. One of my clients landed a role by cold-emailing a hiring manager with actionable ideas to improve their marketing. (Note that you must do this strategically or it will backfire and you might come off as a know-it-all!) Sometimes, the best jobs aren’t even listed until the right person makes a case for them. 4. Look beyond LinkedIn & job boards. So many great opportunities exist outside the usual platforms. Depending on your industry, check out: AngelList – startups Wellfound – tech We Work Remotely – fully remote jobs Behance / Dribbble / CreativeMornings – creative roles 5. Get expert guidance. If your job search feels like a black hole, you don’t have to figure it out alone. A career coach (like me!) can help you fine-tune your strategy, craft outreach messages, and unlock hidden job opportunities so you're not stuck in the endless cycle of online applications. Bottom line? If what you're doing isn’t working, let’s build a strategy that does!

After 4.5 years Hired-Cut Your Career Search in Half continues to help. Finding myself recently meeting many folks (again) in job search, I find that they are not starting off on the right foot. The follow is both what not to do and do instead: 1. Applying to Too Many Jobs with a Generic Resume ❌ Mistake: Spraying the same resume everywhere without customization. ✅ Fix: Tailor your resume for each role using keywords from the job description. Highlight relevant skills/achievements (use bullet points, not paragraphs). 2. Ignoring the Power of Networking ❌ Mistake: Only relying on online applications (where competition is fiercest). ✅ Fix: Reach out to hiring managers or employees at target companies (LinkedIn messages work!). Attend industry events (virtual or in-person) and ask for informational interviews. 3. Weak or Missing Online Presence ❌ Mistake: No LinkedIn profile (or one that’s incomplete/unprofessional). ✅ Fix: Optimize your LinkedIn with a professional photo, strong headline, and detailed experience. Share industry insights or engage with posts to increase visibility. 4. Poor Interview Preparation ❌ Mistake: Wing-ing interviews without researching the company or role. ✅ Fix: Study the company’s mission, recent news, and job description. Prepare STAR method answers (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions. Do mock interviews with a friend or mentor. 5. Not Following Up After Applying or Interviewing ❌ Mistake: Ghosting after submitting an application or interview. ✅ Fix: Send a thank-you email within 24 hours of an interview. If no response after a week, politely follow up (e.g., “I’m still very interested—any updates?”). BONUS: Focusing Only on Big Names ❌ Mistake: Only targeting FAANG or Fortune 500 companies. ✅ Fix: Look for startups, mid-sized firms, or niche industries where competition is lower. Early-career roles at smaller companies often offer faster growth. Key Takeaway: Job hunting is a strategy game, not just a numbers game. By avoiding these mistakes, you’ll stand out in a crowded market. Struggling- I’m happy to help! 🚀 #stillhelpingonepersonatatime #gethired https://lnkd.in/gJ46D-Ua

🚨 The Danger of Mass Applying 🚨 If you’re applying to 100 jobs a day and hearing nothing back… STOP. I get it. The job search is frustrating, and it feels productive to crank out as many applications as possible. But here’s the harsh truth: Mass applying is one of the fastest ways to keep yourself stuck. And by mass applying, I mean: ❌ Hitting that Easy Apply button like you’re playing slots at a casino 🎰 ❌ Applying to roles where you meet less than 70-75% of the requirements ❌ Using lazy-apply bots to blast thousands of applications ❌ Applying to any and every role just to get something Here’s why this backfires: Recruiters can tell when you’re applying randomly. Your resume doesn’t align, your applications look haphazard, and instead of standing out, you’re getting ignored. And guess what? If you're in a company's ATS, your application history stays there forever, and one glance at your profile in the ATS and you'll leave a lasting impression that isn't positive. So, what should you do instead? ✅ Apply Strategically (Instead of Mass Applying) 1️⃣ Target Your Applications – Focus on quality over quantity. Apply only to roles where you meet at least 70-75% of the qualifications and can show a strong fit. 2️⃣ Customize Your Resume – Instead of using one generic resume for everything, tweak your resume to match the job description without lying or keyword stuffing. 3️⃣ Network In Addition To Applying – Go beyond throwing your application into the ATS pile. Engage with the company's LinkedIn page, with people at the company—comment on their posts, send a personalized LinkedIn message, find an internal referral. Warm connections boost your chances! 4️⃣ Think Beyond Job Boards – The hidden job market isn't hidden. It's right there in front of your eyes if you only care to make the effort to seek it out. Instead of spending 100% of your time applying, spend 80% on networking and content engagement to land opportunities that never get posted (think of the Pareto Principle and apply it to job searching). 5️⃣ Be Intentional with Follow-Ups – If you apply and hear crickets, don't be afraid to follow up with a hiring manager or recruiter on LinkedIn to express interest (without being pushy). 🔹 The goal isn’t to apply to more jobs—it’s to get more responses and interviews. If you're ready to chuck the old job application spray-and-pray method in favor of a method that significantly fewer people use but which guarantees better results, send me a DM!

𝗜𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝘁? The hidden cost of relying on traditional job applications is more significant than you might think. You're investing precious time and energy only to face: • Endless rejections from automated systems filtering out your resume. • Getting lost in a sea of applicants without ever hearing back. • Missing out on job opportunities that never even make it to job boards. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: You're wasting valuable resources by putting all your hope in a broken process that isn't designed to work in your favor. There's a different way. It's not easy, but it's doable. Consider this: • 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 with people in your target industry gets you closer to real opportunities. • 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 bypasses the resume pile. • Personal referrals dramatically increase your chances of landing interviews. It's not about perfecting your resume for ATS systems. It's about creating direct connections with decision-makers. A successful job search is built through consistent networking and personalized outreach. I've taught 100+ job seekers how to skip the application pile and get interviews through referrals. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟴+ 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀. 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿—𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝟱 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. So, what's one step you're taking today to build your network instead of applying aimlessly? Share your strategies in the comments below!

If your job search is just sending CVs into the void… this is why you are struggling to get interviews. After 25 years in recruitment, I can tell you this with certainty. Job boards are the most crowded, competitive way to apply. If that is your only strategy, you are blending in with hundreds of other applicants. Here is how to stand out: 1. Find the hiring manager: Message them directly on LinkedIn. Introduce yourself and explain why you are a strong fit. 2. Connect with people in that department: Comment on their posts, ask questions, and build a quick rapport before mentioning your application. 3. Use your peer network: Look for mutual connections. If someone you know works there, ask them to put in a good word. 4. Get your CV pushed forward: When a current employee hands your CV directly to a hiring manager, it jumps to the top of the pile. 5. Be proactive: Do not wait for someone to “get back to you.” Politely follow up until you have an answer. I have worked with thousands of candidates in competitive job markets and seen first-hand that the ones who get interviews the fastest are rarely the ones who only apply on job boards. They are the ones who make sure the hiring manager knows exactly who they are before the interview invite/application is sent.