They are always saying that “today is not the best time on the job market”, and basically, it is true every time. It was always hard to find a job one would be happy with, but these days, with countless competitions, it feels like a mission impossible.

This overwhelming, depressing time, with dozens of rejections via emails and LinkedIn and zero answers is just terrible and I send all my support to those battling with the corporate world og HR. 

As a person who changed jobs once every 2–3 years, I developed a strategy that worked best for me, and herewith, I’m going to share my secret with you. 

First of all, do not pay any “I’ll find you a job” people. In most cases this is a waste of money and you do not need that right now. Their contracts are usually focused on the amount of sent emails and not on the quality of their leads and these emails, so please, take care and be cautious of any scams, as there are many. 

“Ha-ha”, but yes, LinkedIn. LinkedIn works, okay? It got me three of my past roles, and I am not a unicorn. Get your profile all pretty, use all features, add as much info as you want, and always mark the top skills, as well as post results you have achieved in each role. 

Grow your network on LinkedIn. The more contacts you have the more legit your profile looks. And don’t be lazy — contribute. If writing is not your strongest skill — engage with AI and make those posts happen. 

I challenge you, post just twice a week and you. will already see results. 

If you are unsure of what is next on your path, but you have had an idea of what you like to do, or you have a feeling like “oh, this will fit me”, — go to LinkedIn and search for people who are employed in this position at this moment in the city/company of your preference. Reach out with a nice and kind email, suggest a call or a coffee, and I promise it will work out. 

Don’t forget to prepare for this interview and approach it as a journalist or a social worker would — ask Chat GPT for help and combine a list of questions that will help you a) understand day-to-day tasks; b) understand a needed background (and mark what is missing from your description); c) manage your expectations about monetary rewards for this role and competition. 

And don’t forget to ask for a recommendation or and contacts from your interviewees. The fastest way to get somewhere is through personal recommendation. 

My perfect algorithm is — search for a position on LinkedIn and then stalker this company. 

Or even stalker the company alone, as maybe they don’t even know they need you (this happened to me twice). 

Once you find a perfect job, look who is in the department, who is the manager, and who is the responsible HR representative. Reach out to those people directly, sending over a short cover message and your CV. 

Pro-tip for a perfect cv — Resume.io

Many companies have referral programs, where someone from the team suggests a candidate for a new position. Usually, these candidates are at the top priority list for HR, because they have an approval from someone who is already in the team. Imagine being an HR and either scrolling through an endless list of candidates with no idea of their value or going an easy path and talking to 5–8 people that were referred by someone you trust — it seems like an easy choice. 

Even if you don’t know that person, still, reach out to them on LinkedIn and ask about the possibility of the referral to the position that you like. Explain why you are a proper candidate and be very very VERY polite. Politeness wins over anybody, believe me. 

These are my top tips I’d say. 

But most importantly, don’t be afraid! It is just a job interview. Some will like you, and some will not — and it is their loss, not yours. Remember that you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. 

Good luck and take care of your mental health on the go!