How to Approach Job Searching in a Tight Engineering Market

You have to be a bit of a Goldilocks when job hunting and look for the "just right" jobs. When I'm considering opportunities, I think of it a lot like college: 1. I apply for a few "reach" jobs. Reach jobs are those that are a stretch. You meet less than 80% of the requirements, the job is a big promotion, or it's in a new industry. This also includes very desirable jobs (remote, high comp, etc.) Particularly in a tough market, you'll be lucky to land an interview on 1% of reach applications. For me (a recruiting manager at a remote tech company), that might look like a director role at a similar company, or a recruiting manager role at a consulting firm where I have no industry experience. In this market, even a Sr. Recruiter role at a remote company could be a "reach job" because there are so many people on the market and I have only 2 years in tech. 2. I apply for a few "safety" jobs. These are jobs that you are beyond qualified for in every way. You have done that job in that industry at a similar company and excelled. It's targeting lower paying industries where things are less competitive. This also includes work environment. I want to work remote, but I'm going to apply for hybrid/on site as safety jobs to maximize my chances. Even in a tough market, you won't get an interview every time, but you should see maybe 10-20% on these applications. For me, this would look like applying for individual contributor or management roles in non-profits (where I spent most of my career) and where there are typically fewer applicants due to compensation. 3. I primarily apply for "just right" jobs. These are jobs that I am very well qualified for, with some room to grow. This could look like doing the same job you're currently doing but at a larger company. It could be a job that's a step up (moving from a Manager to a Sr. Manager) at a hybrid company. It could be taking a step back in level but moving to a new industry or a company with better compensation/work environment. Given this market, you're still only looking at landing interviews for 5-10% of these jobs. For me, this might look applying for Sr. recruiter or Recruiting Manager roles at companies that are similar to mine. Then combine this strategy with how quickly you need a job: -Laid off and need a job NOW! Go heavy on those safety jobs. If I needed a job in the next 3 months, I would be applying for 50-60% safety jobs and the rest just right jobs. -Happy and just seeing what's out there? Go 50-50 on just right and reach jobs. -Know you need a new job in the next 6 months? Go 20% reach, 60% just right, 20% safety. Here's a hard truth: I think most people are way too heavy on "reach" jobs, especially in the context of this market. And this just sets you up for a lot of rejection and disappointment. So take a realistic assessment of your experiences, your urgency, and the market, and make sure the mix of jobs you're applying for matches that.

𝗦𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘄? With USAID downsizing and ripple effects hitting implementing partners, contractors, and global development orgs, the job market is brutal right now. So I’ve consolidated my best advice—specific to this moment. 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻. If you can afford it, pause before panic-applying. This wasn’t just a job—it was a mission. Layoffs hit hard. Take a moment to process, reflect, and reset before diving in. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁. Most searches will take 6-12 months. Some organizations are quietly hiring, but many have paused new roles. Pace yourself. Overwhelming yourself in month one will make month six that much harder. 3️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 “𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴”). Job searching right now is exhausting. You need more than LinkedIn messages—you need a team in your corner. That might mean a career coach, a job search accountability group, or a Slack/WhatsApp community where you can be honest about the struggle. The Bloom, Career Pivot, Reconsidered - all great. 4️⃣ 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆. There are too many job boards, too many postings, and too many applicants. Instead of throwing resumes everywhere, go where the real opportunities are. (Yes, I’m partial to ImpactSource dot ai, because it updates dynamically and auto matches you with roles—but whatever board you use, make sure it’s giving you real signal, not noise.) 5️⃣ 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗴𝘂𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵—𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽. I see too many people applying to 100+ jobs and getting nowhere. Right now, the jobs being filled are often never even posted. Instead of panic-applying, target specific orgs, connect with insiders, and have real conversations. 6️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Everyone is applying through LinkedIn. But not everyone is building credibility there. Try this: Post once a week. Share something about your expertise, your past work, or even your reflections on the job search. Visibility = Opportunity. 7️⃣ 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀 > 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Most people get hired through connections, not job portals. Instead of applying blindly, reach out to people who know your work. Ask for warm introductions. Use first-degree LinkedIn connections wisely. 8️⃣ 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝘀𝗸. Even in a job search, you have something to offer. Share job openings. Offer to review someone’s resume. Connect two people who should meet. Generosity opens doors. 9️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲—𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂. The world needs your talents more than ever. 🔟 What’s been most helpful for you? Drop your advice in the comments. Sharing is CARING.

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!

Here's how my clients are getting jobs right now: The breakdown is 20/80: • 20% through cold applying • 80% through networking I don't think the job search is a numbers game, but I think networking is a numbers game. I would rather you send out 100 networking messages than 100 applications. My clients don't mass apply for jobs. They are targeted in their approach. Here's how they do it: 1) Very clear on what they want - they know what job titles/companies/industries interest them. This clarity makes them more attractive candidates. 2) Write a different resume for each job title they're applying for. This is more work up front, but it makes applying much easier and faster. Very little customization is needed per application. Plus, this makes your resume(s) much stronger too. 3) Include metrics on their resume. They're using numbers to measure their accomplishments and achievements. They're also using numbers to add context to their roles. (I'm writing a post about finding metrics, stay tuned.) 4) They have optimized LinkedIn profiles (packed with keywords and ideal job titles), plus they are active on LinkedIn. 5) A recent client had more luck applying early. Her interview opportunities went up when she was one of the first to apply (she was looking for remote roles in a competitive field, so applying early was a big advantage). 6) Most importantly, they are WORKING THEIR NETWORK. They are unabashedly reaching out to everyone they know and asking for help. Yes, some of them hate it, but it's getting results. You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I have a 5-step process for the job search, I call it the SMART Job Search Process: 1) SEEK: Be very clear on what you want next. 2) MATCH: Find companies that interest you and learn what they want. 3) ALIGN: Get your resume, LinkedIn, and positioning tight. 4) RELATIONSHIPS: Now that your personal brand is done, it's time to reach out to your network. 5) THRIVE: NOW you're ready for the job search and nailing the job interview. We often jump right to Step 5 - applying for jobs - before doing the other steps properly first. ✅ In Steps 1 and 2, you're getting clear on what you want and what your target employers want. ✅ In Step 3, you use that information to write LinkedIn and resumes that are packed with keywords and targeted bullet points. ✅ In Step 4, now you're putting your best foot forward and you're ready to approach your network. ✅ In Step 5, you have done all you can before applying to jobs. Now it's time to hit the job boards. This is a competitive market - can you revisit any of these steps and tweak your job search? I'm rooting for you. 👊 ♻ Please repost if you think this advice will help others. ***** Hi, have we met? I'm Emily and I'm on a mission to get the #greenbannergang back to work, one actionable step at a time. #jobsearch #jobhunt #jobseekers

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