How to Troubleshoot and Improve Your Job Search

Do you feel stuck in your data job search but don’t know the problem? As a Data mentor for the last 3 years, helping over 100 people 1:1 and having gone through it myself, here are the four main problems I find: Problem 1: Roadmap: Lack of Skills or the Path to Get Them Symptoms: - Unclear on the required skills or qualifications. - Uncertain of your strengths and weaknesses. - Lack of marketable projects or hands-on experience. Steps: 1) Assess Your Skills: Match 40% of your skills to job descriptions for your desired role. 2) Identify Gaps: Recognize your strengths and weaknesses. 3) Build Projects: Create industry-level projects to showcase your skills. Problem 2: Marketing: Lacking Visibility Symptoms: - Have the necessary skills but struggle with profile traction. - Some recruiter outreach or screenings, but not enough interest. Steps: 1) Enhance Your Portfolio: Add impact and value to your LinkedIn, resume, cover letter, GitHub, and website. 2) Optimize for Readability: Ensure it’s human-readable and optimized for ATS and SEO. 3) Make It Unique: Stand out with unique content. 4) Create Content: Regularly produce content to showcase your expertise. Problem 3: System: Inconsistent Interview Opportunities Symptoms: - Few or no interviews, and they’re not for desirable positions. - Primary strategy is applying online. - Lack of networking or referral strategies. Steps: 1) Leverage Your Network: Ask friends and family for referrals. 2) Target Companies: List 10-15 companies you want to work for. 3) Find Contacts: Identify 10-20 people from each company. 4) Build Relationships: Network and build genuine connections. 5) Ask for Referrals: Request referrals from your connections. Problem 4: Interviews: Limited or No Offers Symptoms: - Getting interviews but not offers. - Struggling with specific interview types. - Unable to showcase impact. - Offers don’t meet your expectations. Steps: 1) Highlight Your Strengths: Know your key achievements and skills. 2) Understand the Process: Learn what each interview round focuses on and how to succeed. 3) Improve Communication: Practice asking questions, using positive body language, and making it conversational. 4) Daily Practice: Continuously practice your interview skills. Mock Interviews: Conduct mock interviews to refine your technique. Conclusion Identify where you’re stuck and take actionable steps to move forward. What strategies have helped you move to the next problem in your job search? Share your tips in the comments below! ------------------------- ➕ Follow Jaret André for more daily data job search tips. 🔔 Hit the bell icon to be notified of job searchers' success stories.

If your job search feels scattered or overwhelming, it might not be your effort—it might be your system. A successful job search isn’t just about applying to everything. It’s about being strategic and consistent. Here’s how I help my clients create a plan that keeps them organized and less overwhelmed: ✅ Clarify your direction What kind of roles, industries, or environments are you targeting? ➡️ Define your focus so you’re not trying to be everything to everyone. ✅ Update your materials Make sure your resume, LinkedIn, and elevator pitch reflect where you’re headed—not just where you’ve been. ✅ Track your outreach Use a spreadsheet, Google Sheet, or a tool like TealHQ to stay on top of applications, networking, and follow-ups. ✅ Network strategically Reach out to people working at your target companies. ➡️ Most jobs are filled through connections—not job boards. ✅ Create a weekly schedule Treat your job search like a job. Block time on your calendar like you would for meetings or project work ✅ Set micro-goals Aim for: 🔹 5 new connections/week 🔹 2 tailored applications 🔹 1 interview prep or reflection session ✨A plan brings structure and confidence to a process that can often feel uncertain. 💬 What’s one job search habit that’s helped you stay on track—or one you're trying to build? 📩 And if I can support you in creating your job search plan, feel free to reach out—I’m here to help. #JobSearchStrategy #CareerClarity #CareerCoach #LinkedInTips  

Don’t spend time on things you can’t control. Not in your career, and not in your life When I coach people that are looking for their next opportunity, I always recommend analyzing what they’re doing, and if that’s not generating the results they’re expecting, understand what might be going wrong, find different alternatives, but always spend 99.9% of their time on the things they can control. If you are, for instance, applying for roles and only getting rejections, that might be a sign that there could be a problem with your [resume, interviewing skills, not meeting the minimum requirements, etc.]. But it could also be the market that is saturated. Or the company is on a hiring freeze. Or many other reasons. What can you do? Control what you can control: 1. Read job descriptions carefully. Make sure you meet the minimum qualifications before applying to the job 2. Understand what are the main skills needed across the board 3. Do a personal SWOT analysis and use your strengths/skills to describe opportunities and how they add value to the organization 4. Choose your top 2-3 examples from past experiences (that relates to the job the most) and use them to write your resume bullet points 5. Choose your top 5-10 companies, add them to a document and search for recruiters on LinkedIn (connect with them not to send your resume only, but to network) 6. Consider side gigs and freelance while searching for a job (bills need to be covered) 7. Continue developing your skills and your job search portfolio Ultimately, spending time on things we can’t control is the quickest way to disappointment and feeling like giving up. Let’s spend time and energy on what we can control, and continue working for what we need. We got this. #StephSynergy

If you're tirelessly sending out job applications and wondering why you're not getting interview calls, it's time to rethink your strategy. Here's a reality check: I applied for a role that was posted just yesterday, and the hiring manager revealed they had already received over 500 applications. Sounds daunting, right? But here's a twist: I didn't wait to be discovered in that massive pile. Instead, I took a proactive step that made all the difference. The game-changer? Connecting directly with the hiring manager and the most senior person in talent acquisition. Here's how you can do it too: Research and Connect: Use platforms like LinkedIn to find the hiring manager and senior talent acquisition personnel for the roles you're interested in. Don't just send a connection request; personalize it: Share briefly why you're reaching out and express genuine interest in the company and the role. Follow Up with Value: Once connected, send a follow-up message that makes it easy for them to see your potential fit. Example: "I have 15+ years of corporate social media experience for global brands and am ready to immediately help drive meaningful growth." Make Their Job Easy: In your communications, be clear, concise, and compelling. Help them see why you're worth a closer look. If this proactive approach helps even one job seeker break through the digital black hole of applications and land an interview, then it's a win. Remember, job hunting is not just about waiting to be found; it's about making yourself impossible to overlook. #OpenToWork #JobSearchTips #CareerAdvice #HiringNow

1 Post, 100+ Messages, 1,000+ Connections & 10,000+ Impressions: This was the impact of my latest post on my job search experience. The fact that so many of us were able to relate to the topic was quite overwhelming. Due to this response, I have decided to further share additional resources that were crucial in my process and helped me find the right opportunities. If you are struggling to hear back from a recruiter and are not getting interview calls, these strategies below will surely be helpful. Here it goes: 1. Use multiple platforms: Though the majority of the applicants apply only through LinkedIn, not all the jobs are posted here. Moreover, many job openings are already duplicates or expired. Try these platforms in addition to applying on LinkedIn: 1. indeed.com 2. remotive.com 3. ziprecruiter.com 4. builtin.com 5. glassdoor.com 2. Reach out to hiring managers: Many hiring managers directly advertise the open positions in their team on LinkedIn. Try searching for these opportunities by using the #hiring hashtag or going to your target company and searching for the hiring managers through the "People" tab. Doing this in addition to the normal job applications will give you more visibility in your search. 3. Job Alerts: Your best friend and your biggest enemy while applying is 'Time'. It is important to stay on top of your game and apply as soon as the job opens. Applying to the stale job would only be an effort in vain. Setting up Job Alerts of your target company on LinkedIn and directly through the career center of that specific company helps you apply in that crucial time window and be one of the first few applicants. This is a critical step in your process to be shortlisted. 4. Referrals: Although this is the most hyped topic when it comes to applying, I would suggest being thoughtful of this one. Although referral surely proves beneficial, your application getting selected also depends on a lot of other factors. When I was applying, I applied to most of my target companies through referrals and rarely got a callback. Most of the interviews I secured were without referrals. Hence, I would suggest it's not beneficial to waste the majority of your time on getting referrals. Even if you cannot get them, it will be fine in the end. 5. Ramp up your LinkedIn profile: In my personal experience and many people I know who got good opportunities, a lot of times the recruiters themselves reached out to candidates on LinkedIn without even applying. Having a good and active LinkedIn profile is very crucial in your job search process. Even though it might take some time and work initially, I promise you it will be worth it in the long term. These are the same strategies that worked for me during my process and I am sure they will put you on the track for more opportunities. If you find them helpful, do like and comment on this post so it can reach someone who really needs it. P.S: Stay tuned to my next post for more valuable strategies!