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Abdullah
- March 9, 2026
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If job hunting feels frustrating, you’re not imagining it.
You apply to jobs.
You tailor your résumé.
You prepare for interviews.
And sometimes… nothing happens.
I’ve spent my entire career working in recruiting, and I can tell you something honestly:
Many people are working really hard at job hunting.
They’re just focusing on the wrong things.
First: understand the competition
A typical job posting can receive hundreds of applications.
Out of those, maybe five people will get interviews.
One person gets the job.
That doesn’t mean the other candidates weren’t qualified.
It just means the process is competitive.
So the goal becomes: how do you stand out?
Second: apply where you are competitive
One of the most common mistakes I see is candidates applying for roles that are too far outside their experience.
Recruiters compare candidates against each other.
So if you apply to a role where most candidates have already done that exact job before, it becomes much harder to move forward.
A strong job search focuses on roles where your background clearly aligns.
Third: referrals make a big difference
If someone inside the company recommends you, your chances improve significantly.
Why?
Because companies trust their employees.
And referrals often skip some of the earlier screening stages.
That doesn’t mean you need to aggressively ask people for jobs.
But if you know someone at a company you’re interested in, it’s completely reasonable to reach out and say:
“I saw your team is hiring — I’d love to learn more about the role.”
Fourth: keep your job search organized
This might sound simple, but it makes a big difference.
Track:
Companies you’ve applied to
Roles you’re interested in
Recruiters you’ve spoken to
Interview stages
When job searches stretch across weeks or months, this helps you stay focused.
One more thing
The job search process can feel opaque because most people never see the hiring process from the inside.
That’s what I’ve spent my career doing.
If you want a full breakdown of how hiring actually works — from resume screening to interviews and negotiations — check out my course Hate Job Hunting? Let’s Fix That.
It’s designed to make the process much less mysterious.
