How to Get Hired After Repeated Job Rejections

I was rejected from 90+% of the project management jobs I applied for Here's how I landed (and thrived) in a Senior PM role. Rejection sucks. When I was trying to level-up in my PM career, I applied for dozens and dozens of jobs. I got ghosted, rejected, or "we've decided to move forward with other candidates" on 90% of them. At first I took it personally. Maybe I wasn't qualified. Maybe I wasn't good enough. But I was wrong. Getting rejected isn't failure. Stopping is. Here's what I learned and leveraged toward a dream PM role: ☝ Stop applying for jobs, start applying for the RIGHT ones At first I sent out a flood of applications. Anything with a PM title, hoping something would stick. Nothing did. So I got strategic. → Evaluated where I was deficient → I tailored my resume → Focused on roles that aligned with my strengths/experience → Spoke directly to the job descriptions of those aligned roles ✌ I turned interviews into case studies Instead of just answering questions, I came prepared with examples. → How I turned around a failing project → How I influenced a difficult stakeholder → How I aligned a siloed team (This became my 3 Projects Framework - check it out in my PM Power Moves newsletter) Hiring managers don't want to hear what you would do. They want proof of what you HAVE done. 🤟 I got comfortable with rejection and used it to improve After every rejection, I did 2 things. Asked for feedback (when possible). And adjusted my approach for the next opportunity. → Refine your stories → Strengthen your positioning → Learn to sell yourself as THE solution to their problems 🖖 Network like it's your job A big shift was when I stopped waiting for job boards to work. Instead, I started connecting with people in the industry. → I got a coach. → I engaged in PM communities. → And reached out to hiring managers for conversations (not jobs). These conversations and relationships lead to real opportunities. 🖐 Play the long game I didn't need every job to say yes. I just needed the RIGHT one. When the right opportunity came, I was ready. (That opportunity came with 2 other offers too). → I landed the role. → I stepped into the challenge. → And I thrived, by leaning on my specific skillset and experience. Rejection isn't the end. It's part of the path to the right opportunity. If you're facing job search frustration as a PM/aspiring one, keep going. Keep refining. Keep showing up. I promise, you'll win. 🤙

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!

It’s a tough job market. But it’s not impossible to get hired. I recently landed a PM role in a new industry.  Yes, in this “crazy” market. HOW? I applied to 137 jobs in 2 months, with 6 first rounds, 3 final rounds, and 100% of screening calls moving on to the next round. A connection I’ve worked with has had an impressive number of interviews. 15 screening interviews with only 95 applications.  That’s 1 interview for every 6 applications in 2 months! These were not random applications. Instead, this was a clear, focused effort. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 9 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡: 1. Be clear on what value you provide. 2. Know your target industry/companies/roles and focus on them.  3. Know what problems these companies are trying to solve and what you will do to address them. How to do the above? ✔️ Notice trends in Job Descriptions and find common terms. ✔️ Have metrics and numbers to show HOW you’ve done it. ✔️ Focus on the value you’ve provided in previous roles, not responsibilities. 4. Get your resume and cover letter concise and dialed on the above 3 points. 5. Have an application strategy. Though I applied 100% on LinkedIn, I’ve seen others have good luck with Hiring.Cafe to find recently posted roles in target areas. Check it out! 6. Apply early. Ideally in the first day, definitely in the first 2-3 days. Another area where Hiring.Cafe is really helpful. 7. Cover Letters. If you use them, they should be focused. The only customization should be: a) company name b) role name c) if one of the 3-4 bullet points doesn't apply to the role, delete or edit it. If you've done step 4 well, you won't have to do much customization for each role you apply to. 8. If you can find the managing TA/Recruiter, message them on LinkedIn. If you can find the manager, message them with your resume. Also, network with common company/school alumni for informational conversations and referrals. 9. Send a follow-up email to every interviewer that concisely reinforces how you've addressed the problems they're looking to solve and that you're excited to continue talking. As you can see, this is nothing magical. Just methodical execution. In summary: Demonstrate: ✅ You 𝒄𝒂𝒏 do the job ✅ You know 𝒉𝒐𝒘 to do the job ✅ You 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 to do the job Make it so a company doesn’t see you as the risky hire; 🔥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬. This market is tough. You may do all the right things.  You may be great, but for various (and sometimes intangible) reasons, you may not be who they're looking for. Accept it and move on. The right job is out there. You can do it. #ProjectManagement #TransitioningTeachers #CareerPivot #JobSeekers