Job Seekers Are Fed Up And Fighting Back

Key Concepts

Job Market Shift: The current job market is significantly tougher than in the past, characterized by high application volumes, increased rejections, and ghosting.
Resume Optimization: The critical importance of tailoring resumes to specific job descriptions, aiming for at least an 85% match.
Early Application: The necessity of applying within the first 24-48 hours of a job posting to be considered in the initial candidate slate.
Networking: Strategic use of professional connections, particularly through platforms like LinkedIn, to gain an advantage.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Software used by employers to manage job applications, emphasizing the need for direct applications to ensure visibility.
Evergreen Requisition (Evergreen Wreck): Job postings that are continuously open, often indicating high turnover or lower quality roles.
Parent/Child Resumes: A framework for efficient resume customization, involving a master resume for a job type and smaller, tailored versions for specific roles.
Upskilling: Proactively acquiring new skills or enhancing existing ones to become a more competitive candidate.
AB Testing (Job Search): The practice of experimenting with different job search strategies and adjusting based on results, rather than repeating ineffective methods.

The Challenging Job Market and Strategic Job Search Approaches

The current job market is described as unprecedentedly difficult, with job seekers experiencing widespread frustration, continuous rejections, and ghosting despite following traditional advice. Unlike a past market where a "couple dozen job applications" could lead to a "reasonably decent and high-paying job," today's market sees individuals submitting "hundreds of applications" over "months and months and months, and in some cases years," often without success. This frustration is shared by even gainfully employed and educated individuals. The speaker reacts to a job seeker's video detailing a year-long, 750-800 application job hunt with no offers, highlighting critical areas for improvement.

The Job Hunter's Experience and Initial Feedback

The job hunter in the video reported applying for an estimated "750-800 applications" over a year, with no success. The speaker immediately points out that this "is not the ratio that we want to see," suggesting fundamental issues.

Key Issues Identified by the Speaker:

Resume Problems: A primary reason for not securing first-round interviews is often a resume that fails to "clearly and concisely show your fit in seconds." With an "unprecedented" number of candidates, a solid, targeted resume is crucial.
Timing of Application: Being an "early applicant" is paramount, ideally within the "first 24 to 48 hours" of a job posting. Recruiters aim to present "five, maybe seven candidates" to hiring managers quickly, and late applicants often fall into "limbo."
Candidate Glut: The sheer volume of applicants means recruiters filter an "initial glut" and source from various "buckets" (job ads, LinkedIn, etc.).

Job Fairs and Hiring Events: When They Work (and Don't)

The job hunter stated they are "no longer doing job fairs and hiring events" because they "do not hire" and "almost never an employee of the company" mans the booths. The speaker offers a nuanced perspective:

Valuable for Entry-Level/University Students: For those in college or entry-level roles, university-sponsored job fairs are "an absolute must." The speaker personally hired many for engineering development programs this way, often using tools like the "Handshake app."
Valuable for Military Transitions: Military job fairs are also recommended for those transitioning out of service.
Generally Not for Experienced Professionals: For experienced professionals, general local job fairs (e.g., at town halls) are typically "not worth the time," especially if they are "non-niche genericy." These are often better suited for "blue-collar folks or hourly roles" (e.g., factory workers).
Company Representation: The speaker refutes the claim that company representatives are absent, stating that companies "certainly" send recruiters, though not necessarily the hiring manager for a specific role. The return on investment (ROI) for time spent at general job fairs is low for professionals.

The Role of Cover Letters

The job hunter stopped writing cover letters for hourly wage jobs, finding them a "total waste of time" due to quick rejections, but still writes them for salary positions. The speaker largely agrees with the sentiment:

General Recommendation: Cover letters are "not necessarily" recommended unless "the job specifically asks for them."
Recruiter Perspective: Recruiters "almost certainly not going to read them" as they focus on the resume.
Hiring Manager Perspective: Hiring managers, seeing fewer applications (8-10 vs. a recruiter's 1000), might read them.
Limited Impact: A cover letter "does it hurt you? No. Does it help you? Probably not." The speaker has "never seen a case where a cover letter move somebody across the finish line."
Purpose: They can "re-emphasize and point you to specific experience," but "generic cover letters" are a "waste of time."
Antiquated Practice: Companies insisting on cover letters are viewed as "antiquated and relatively dinosaur-like."
Alternative Focus: LinkedIn is considered a "much more valuable place to learn about somebody" and for candidate branding.

Resume Customization: A Non-Negotiable Strategy

The job hunter stopped sending "multiple different versions of my resume," having previously "downplayed" experience and degrees for entry-level roles (e.g., food service) only to be rejected. The speaker strongly disagrees with this decision:

Absolute Necessity: "Customizing your resume is absolutely the... biggest things that you can do to improve your chances."
Market Demand: In today's market, candidates need to be "at least 85% of a match" for a role, as companies are "way too picky."
Overqualification Risk: Applying for jobs you are significantly overqualified for (e.g., a food service job with a degree and management experience) will lead to rejection. Hiring managers fear such candidates will quickly leave for better opportunities, leading to high turnover.
"Dumbing Down" Resumes: While a "desperate move" that might land a lower-paying job, it "will hurt your career in the long run."
Efficient Customization: The speaker, who uses "20 different versions" of his resume, teaches a process to customize resumes in "minutes, not hours." This involves creating "parent résumés for the major job types" and "child résumés that you customize further underneath them."

Reposted Jobs and Job Board Effectiveness (Indeed vs. Direct)

The job hunter views jobs reposted "for like months at a time or... every four to five weeks" as a "red flag." They also stopped using Indeed, claiming it's a "data mining scam" and that all their recent interviews came from "smaller niche job boards or through the company page directly."

Speaker's Reaction to Reposted Jobs:

Agreement: Reposted jobs are often "red flags."
Evergreen Requisitions: These are roles that are "always open," typically due to high turnover (e.g., entry-level sales, railroad track workers). The speaker advises "very cautious" application.
Multiple City Postings: Seeing the "same exact position" in "multiple cities" is also a red flag for job quality.

Speaker's Reaction to Indeed and Application Strategy:

Indeed Quality: Indeed is generally a source of "relatively low-quality jobs" and "lower cost per job posting" for employers. It's more suited for "blue-collar hourly roles" than "white collar" professionals.
LinkedIn as Standard: Reputable employers typically invest in LinkedIn as the industry standard for professional hiring.
Applying Directly to Company Website: This is "absolutely love[d]" by the speaker as it's a "surefire way of getting into their applicant tracking system (ATS)." Indeed applications may not seamlessly funnel into a company's ATS, requiring manual checks by recruiters who might "forget to check one."
Candidate Quality on Indeed: From a recruiter's perspective, the "quality of the candidate on Indeed is just as low quality," often featuring poorly constructed resumes and global applicants. The speaker's hiring experience shows "75% LinkedIn, maybe 10% Indeed."
Niche Job Boards:
- Industry-Specific (Good): Highly specific boards run by "industry standard" trade organizations (e.g., PRSA, SHERM) are valuable for "higher quality" specialty posts.
- Generic/Mom-and-Pop (Bad): Many smaller boards are "scraped sites" or "propagated as part of a network," often spammy and unknown even to recruiters. The job hunter's success here is likely "coincidental."
Contacting Recruiters: While applying directly can provide contact points, job seekers must be careful not to "bug the recruiter too much" or "piss a recruiter off" with spammy, non-customized follow-ups. Recruiters are busy and won't "drop everything to help some random person."

Current Market Realities and Proactive Strategies

The job hunter concludes that "it sucks right now" and if unemployed, "there's nothing you can do." The speaker strongly disagrees with this fatalistic view:

Market Stability: The speaker advises against "major career changes" or quitting a job without a "truly stable" new one lined up, citing frequent instances of people leaving stability for "shiny trinkets" that turn into disasters.
Proactive Measures: "There's lots of things that you can do." The "best recipe for getting a job" includes a "targeted resume, a very well-crafted resume plus timely networking" and "being an early applicant."
AB Testing and Upskilling: If current strategies aren't working (e.g., 600+ applications with no results), job seekers must "AB test your things, your strategies, mix it up, do something different." Additionally, "aggressively looking for ways to upskill myself" through free training, building portfolios (e.g., for software developers), and investing in long-term skill development is crucial.

Speaker's Resources for Job Seekers

The speaker offers resources through his website, alifeafterlayoff.com, including free articles and in-depth courses:

Resume Rocket Fuel: Teaches resume writing from a recruiter's perspective, including quick customization techniques (parent/child resumes) and templates.
The Ultimate Jobseeker Bootcamp: A step-by-step guide to the entire job search process, from application to offer, including interview strategies.
Unlocking LinkedIn: Focuses on leveraging LinkedIn for effective networking, generating results, and potentially bypassing recruiters by teaching the "right way" to network.

Conclusion

The current job market is exceptionally challenging, leading to widespread frustration among job seekers. While some traditional job search methods are indeed outdated or ineffective (e.g., general job fairs for professionals, generic cover letters, relying solely on Indeed), the speaker emphasizes that giving up is not the answer. Instead, success hinges on a highly strategic and proactive approach: meticulously customizing resumes for each role (aiming for an 85% match), applying early (within 24-48 hours), leveraging targeted networking (especially on LinkedIn), applying directly to company websites, and continuously upskilling. The key takeaway is to "AB test" strategies and adapt, rather than repeating ineffective actions, to navigate this difficult landscape.