First let me say that the reason I’m writing this is because I’ve read many posts of people struggling with the current job market, and I feel you. I just went through what you’re going through and I want to help you. I’m not preaching from an ivory tower and I’m not a guru selling you a service.
I applied for 500+ on LinkedIn and some other boards only to get the same automated rejection message over and over again.
Step 1 — Leave your ego behind, understand these were not actual people that misjudged you, and that it’s not a measure of your worth. If you know you’re good, you can’t let some bot email bring you down in any way.
That’s what 90% of these are, bot emails from automated rejections, many of them “powered by AI” that just checks some flags against some specifications. And if you’ve been around the block you know how bad hiring requirements are at reflecting the actual job / negotiable conditions.
From those 500+ applications I caught <5 interviews (which all of them were positive) in the first week, and some more opportunities trickled in eventually (which was just too late for me to even consider at that point).
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Side-note for employers: I understand that you’re being flooded with hundreds of applications everyday, but that problem is for you to solve. If you’re gonna take weeks to even schedule the intro call you’re only gonna get the bottom of the barrel. Good talent won’t be available for long.
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And even though they won’t say it, I could tell the main reason for being rejected was Salary Expectation. And that is just an uncomfortable truth you’re gonna have to deal with, the market and the economy are not the same as they were in 2021–2023. People are being laid off left and right, companies can’t grow, founders can’t raise, and AI is taking over.
If you’re looking for a job because you need the money my best advice for you is to start that side-gig you always wanted for some extra change, and look for a healthy work environment even if it pays less that what you’re used to.
I’ve read many posts about people struggling to pay their bills and support their families, I know how much that sucks in the short run. But your wellbeing is more valuable than cash, and will allow you to keep going in the long run. We will leave this discussion on the economy for another day.
So how do you find a healthy work environment? Through other people, not through applications and job boards. Ask your peers how they feel about working on their current company and ask for referrals.
Cold DM the CEOs, CTOs, Eng Leaders of the companies you applied for with a positive message and a direct link to your portfolio or some work you did that can immediately reflect your worth. Most will want to hire you even without looking at your CV, and sometimes even without a technical task. If they can’t hire you, they will gladly to refer you to someone who will.
In some ways it has never been easier to find a good job like this, it’s so rare for people to take this approach and you will skip hundreds of other applicants just by having the balls to do it.
That’s how I’ve been doing it 10+ years, and that’s how I did it just this month. As soon as I found a good fit everything clicked in place. It took less than 3 days for the entire hiring process, everything felt right, natural, and genuine. And I wish the same for you.
Now let’s talk recruitment / consulting / outsourcing / nearshore companies. They are still a reliable alternative and you should be opening up processes with them even if you don’t expect to close.
It will give you a better perspective of the current landscape, in terms of salaries, tech, or projects available. They usually also have plenty of benefits to compensate for the lower gross salary and will keep you warm for the “real” interviews.
We could call all of this “outbound marketing” but instead of selling a product, you’re hunting for a job. But ask any marketer and they will tell you that the best leads are inbound, so also take the time to start creating some for yourself.
Create a personal brand TODAY, launch a website where people can contact you directly TODAY, and everything else you do you will post about it online TODAY.
That side-gig I mentioned earlier -> build it in public
That code you wrote to learn a new framework -> open source it
That idea that has been in your head for a long time -> publish it
You need to get a snowball rolling, and you have to do it sooner rather than later. It probably won’t help you find a job today but I promise it will help to never be in the same position you are today ever again.
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