Where most people fail in their job search

Back in 2019, I was hired by a career advising startup to help build and implement a system to help job seekers achieve great offers.

Over the next four years, I worked one-on-one with over 1000 different candidates. As I advanced each person through our program, it became very clear that there was an obvious fork in the road at a certain point in the program.

There was always ONE area that was the biggest variable for results. Some candidates reached this point and took off, gaining great traction and (finally) better interview conversion. Others reached this point and began treading water, finding themselves in a very stagnant state in their job search without results.

The fork in the road?

Networking.

Now, before you cringe or roll your eyes, hear this:

This advice that I’m sharing is coming from a firsthand account of seeing what happens when 1000+ people either network effectively or don’t during their job search.

The difference in results is astounding.

You’re SEVEN TIMES more likely to land an interview at a company if you have a referral.

Most people understand that you’re better off networking than just relying on cold applications. Why, then, do so many people fall off the wagon at this part in the process?

Because getting ignored or rejected by a real person with a face is hard. Continuing to send cold emails is hard when you’re not seeing results.

Without fail, I’ve seen countless job seekers start my program with unlimited enthusiasm. The first few steps are always exciting. Choosing your job targets and then getting a shiny new resume to apply with is always the part that everyone is excited about.

When it comes time to grind out some cold emails and put the ego on the line, that’s when I see job seekers take their foot off the gas the most.

Listen. Sticking to a cold outreach or networking strategy is not easy.

You’re going to spend time crafting a great email that will get ignored.

You’re going to get responses that are short, unhelpful, or sometimes rude.

But if you want more interviews in 2024, you HAVE TO reach out and create your own visibility.

The applicant pools are too large and too competitive to think a great resume is enough to get the job done.

The steps for getting started with an effective networking approach are simple:

Use LinkedIn. Search for people at companies you are interested in who hold the same (or similar) title to the role you want.

Use an email finder tool to find their email address.

Send an email that starts the conversation off about either the role, the company or them, not you.

Once you get a reply, then the conversation can shift to you and your qualifications.

Earning referrals is mostly about three things:

1. Persistence and consistency.

2. Identifying the RIGHT people to contact.

3. Earning trust.

Is this simple? Yes.

Is this easy? No.

And that’s why so many job seekers lose momentum and sputter at this step.

If you want to finally start receiving more interviews, hit the gas at this stage of your search and COMMIT.

If you need more guidance on how to secure referrals, let’s hop on a call together. I have developed a step-by-step process to increase your interview conversion rate.

…and I’ll even find the right email addresses for you.