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Resilient Leader Insder · Thursday Strategy
The Job Market Didn't Break You. It Changed.
And that means your strategy has to change with it.
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I sent a survey to this community a little over a week ago, and over a thousand of you opened it. Many of you wrote back, Thx Y'all.
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I read every single response. And one theme showed up over and over again, not in the multiple choice questions, but in the open-ended ones where you could say anything you wanted.
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You said: the job market is rough. You said: I can't get interviews. You said: I'm doing everything right and nothing is moving.
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I hear you. And I want to be honest with you today about what's actually happening and, more importantly, what you can do about it starting this week.
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Volume has broken the system.
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AI-assisted tools have made it easier than ever to customize a resume, match keywords, and apply to jobs in bulk. That sounds like a good thing until you realize everyone else has access to the same tools. Some companies are now receiving 600 applications in the first 12 hours. Over 1,000 in 24 hours.
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When that many people are applying, the filter gets tighter. It stops being about qualifications and starts being about proximity. Who knows someone. Who got a warm introduction. Who had a real conversation before the job was even posted.
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The Reframe
The market is not rejecting your skills, even though you may feel that way. It's really rejecting the strategy of applying alone. You are qualified. The question is whether the right people know it.
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A few months ago I wrote about the power of using your network to find your next role. I want to come back to that today because based on your responses, I don't think enough of you have made the shift yet.
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Applying to 20 jobs with no warm introduction is a lonely, discouraging strategy in this market.
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Right now, a lot of you are submitting 12, 15, sometimes 20 applications a week. I get it. It feels productive. It feels like you're doing something. But I've seen that approach work maybe 40% of the time on its own. The two-prong approach, applying strategically AND activating your network, that's where I've seen the real wins happen. This is what you have to do apply & activate your network.
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Here's what I want you to try instead.
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Your Action Steps This Week
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Audit your job tracker.
Pull up the roles you've submitted in the last week and a half. For each one, ask yourself: do I have any connection at this company, even a second-degree one? If yes, that's your next move before you apply anywhere new.
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Pick two people to reach out to by next week.
Go through your LinkedIn connections, your phone contacts, your network, even people you haven't spoken to in years. You're looking for anyone who might be able to flag your name or make a soft introduction at a company on your list.
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Send the message.
Don't overthink it. Don't wait until it's perfect. Use the script below as your starting point. The discomfort you feel about reaching out is the same discomfort that's keeping everyone else from doing it, which means it's your edge.
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What to Say — Fill in the Blanks
"Hi [Name], I hope you're doing well. I'm in a strategic moment of career transition and actively exploring new opportunities in [your field/industry]. I noticed you're connected to [person's name] at [company], and I recently applied for [job title] there. I'd love it if you'd be open to making a soft introduction, even just a quick note that I'm a strong candidate. No pressure at all if now isn't a good time. I truly appreciate you and hope things are going well on your end."
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Will every person respond? No. Will every introduction lead somewhere? No. But 60% of the time, this approach moves the needle in ways that applying alone never will. And in a market this competitive, 60% is a significant edge.
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Reaching out to your network is not a sign that you failed.
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It is not an admission that your resume isn't strong enough or that you're desperate. It is a sign that you understand how business actually works. People hire people they trust, or people that someone they trust vouches for. That has always been true. It's just more true right now than ever.
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Reduce the number of random applications. Increase the quality of your connections. Apply strategically. Leverage your people. That is the two-prong approach that works in this market.
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Tomorrow I'll be back with fresh job listings. But speaking of listings, in case you missed Monday's email, here are two roles worth a second look.
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In Case You Missed It · $200k+ Roles
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Temporal Technologies
Manager, Americas Partner GTM
Remote (US) · OTE $210,000 to $310,000 · Equity eligible
Temporal just closed a $146M Series C and is building the infrastructure behind agentic AI workloads. This role sits at the intersection of partnerships and field sales, driving partner-influenced pipeline across SIs, cloud partners, and ISVs. Built for senior partnership leaders with 7+ years who want outsized commercial impact at a high-growth company.
View Role
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Instacart
Senior Media Leader, Full Funnel Strategy
Remote (US and Canada) · $219,000 to $277,500
Instacart is scaling one of its largest growth levers and needs a senior media leader to own full-funnel strategy and global budget across TV, digital, and emerging platforms. Requires 15+ years in consumer media leadership with fluency in MMM, attribution models, and agency management.
View Role
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Note: I am not a recruiter. I share information only. If a link appears broken, go directly to that company's careers page and search the role title.
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Know someone navigating this market right now?
If this email gave you something useful, forward it to a friend. The people in your network who need this strategy the most probably aren't getting it anywhere else.
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Until tomorrow,
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Jacqueline
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