We asked hiring managers and career coaches how to find great job opportunities. Here’s what they learned about networking and standing out to employers.
- Hire a Career Coach for Support
- Build Relationships to Land Roles
- Evaluate Your Job Search Process
- Gain Career Clarity and Network
- Leverage Networking and Become an SME
- Don’t Rely on Job Boards
- Create Solution Portfolios for Companies
- Identify Transferable Skills and Network
- Build a Personal Branding Toolkit
- Specialize in Emerging Industry Gaps
- Build a Strong and Relevant Portfolio
- Redo Your Resume for Better Results
- Make Meaningful Connections and Follow Up
- Show the Right Attitude Through Volunteering
14 Tips for Landing Your Dream Job from Experts
Hire a Career Coach for Support
If you are struggling to find a job and have been unsuccessful, hire a career coach or join job seeker groups to learn from others in a group setting and get support. Focus on building a strong personal brand through a well-optimized LinkedIn profile and a resume highlighting quantifiable accomplishments with the right keywords to pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Use numbers, dollars, and percentages to showcase your achievements.
Make networking a daily habit by contacting industry professionals and joining relevant groups. Engage with content in your field, as commenting on posts on LinkedIn can create visibility, credibility, and discoverability. Attend virtual and in-person events to grow your connections and gain insights. Research your desired roles and tailor your application materials to showcase how your skills and achievements align with job requirements.
Practice storytelling in interviews to demonstrate your value using specific examples using the STAR (Situation-Task-Action-Result) Method for your transferable skills. Be persistent and optimistic while receiving feedback to improve your approach and stand out in a competitive job market.
Lynne Williams
Resumes & LinkedIn – Executive Director, Great Careers Network
Build Relationships to Land Roles
The most important strategy someone struggling to find a job in their desired field can do today to land the role is to focus on building relationships. I landed my dream job as a television producer before my college graduation using this strategy. I’ve redefined networking as connecting with an official definition being an authentic attempt to learn or assist someone. A great way to stand out in a competitive market is to be authentic and focus on adding value to others. The opportunities you want today are not awarded via random applications but authentic connections and credible recommendations.
Michelle Enjoli
Career Development Speaker and Coach, Michelle Enjoli International
Evaluate Your Job Search Process
The best piece of advice I would give to someone who is struggling to find a job in their field is to evaluate your process. You may be spending time and energy doing the wrong activities. Most job seekers spend the bulk of their time scrolling job boards and submitting applications; while necessary it is arguably the least effective approach. Building your network of contacts in your industry should be your main focus. People hire people, so start there. Get to know people you could work with or who could hire you now or in the future. By having conversations you will gain valuable insights, get introductions to hiring managers, and become known in your space. This will lead to better quality opportunities for you.
Ben Wiant
Career Transition Consultant, The 3 Doors Job Search
Gain Career Clarity and Network
If you’re struggling to find a job in your desired field, my first piece of advice is to gain clear career clarity. Understand why you are drawn to this field and what specific roles fit your skills and passions. This understanding will help you tailor your applications more effectively and communicate your enthusiasm during interviews, which can make a big difference.
Next, focus on networking and building your personal brand. Connect with professionals in the industry through platforms like LinkedIn, attend industry conferences, and participate in relevant online forums or groups. Sharing your thoughts on industry trends and showcasing your knowledge can help establish you as a credible candidate.
Remember, it’s not just about who you know, but who knows you and your capabilities. These steps can significantly enhance your visibility and increase your chances of landing a role in your chosen field.
Theresa White
Career Clarity Coach, Career Bloom Coaching
Leverage Networking and Become an SME
You already know that networking is statistically the most likely way you will find a job. That’s because the people you know, know people you don’t. They can introduce you to those who can help you get to the front of the line for consideration for a role.
However, the other way people find work, particularly as they become more experienced and start to compete for senior leadership and C-suite roles, is by becoming someone known as the SME, the expert, the person who is accomplished in their field. That isn’t purely about your being competent. It is about being known outside your organization as that.
Ask yourself the question, “Who knows about me?” If it’s purely people you have worked with, you need to go bigger to develop the reputation that will help you cut the line to get to the front of an executive search or to be plucked out of a successful situation and into a new role that will excite you.
Jeff Altman
Global Job Search Coach, The Big Game Hunter, Inc.
Don’t Rely on Job Boards
If you are struggling to find a role, don’t rely on job boards. Applying for advertised roles is always going to be competitive. I would strongly advise jobseekers to undertake additional job search strategies such as utilizing their professional and personal network to explore opportunities and approaching target companies directly either through their website or via Talent Acquisition to express interest in potential opportunities. This proactive approach can really pay off in a competitive job market and is all about tapping into the hidden job market.
Leah Lambart
Career & Interview Coach, Relaunch Me
Create Solution Portfolios for Companies
My most successful candidates stopped applying for posted jobs and started creating solution portfolios instead. Rather than sending resumes, they analyzed companies’ public-facing challenges and created detailed solution proposals. One marketer landed a senior role by auditing our client’s website and presenting specific improvements.
This approach works because it demonstrates real value upfront. When we hired a content strategist, her analysis of our blog’s performance gaps impressed us more than her resume. Focus on showing potential employers how you’ll solve their problems rather than just listing qualifications.
Marc Hardgrove
CEO, The Hoth
Identify Transferable Skills and Network
As an employment lawyer, I often advise clients navigating career transitions, especially those struggling to break into their desired field. My first piece of advice is to identify transferable skills that align with the field you’re pursuing. Many people underestimate how skills from unrelated jobs—like communication, problem-solving, or project management—can be reframed to fit a new role. Highlight these abilities on your resume and in interviews with concrete examples.
Another strategy is networking with purpose. Attend industry events, join professional groups, and engage with experts on platforms like LinkedIn. Don’t just ask for jobs—ask for insights. People are more willing to help when they feel you’re genuinely interested in learning, and those conversations can open unexpected doors.
To truly stand out, focus on building your expertise and visibility. This could mean creating a portfolio, writing industry-specific articles, or volunteering for projects that showcase your passion for the field. For example, I’ve seen clients start blogs or produce content on platforms like Medium to establish themselves as thought leaders, even before securing a formal role. Employers take notice of candidates who are already immersed in the industry.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of persistence. If rejection comes your way, view it as an opportunity to refine your approach. Tailor your applications, sharpen your interview skills, and keep moving forward. Progress may be incremental, but with targeted effort and resilience, opportunities will arise.
Ed Hones
Attorney at Law, Hones Law Employment Lawyers PLLC
Build a Personal Branding Toolkit
Submitting endless online applications isn’t a winning strategy in this case. Show your value instead.
Start by building a personal branding toolkit: create a portfolio, launch a simple website that tells your career story beyond the resume, and share LinkedIn content that highlights your skills and solves your dream company’s problems. This sets you apart and makes opportunities come to you.
Once that foundation is in place, flip the script: spend 20% of your time applying and 80% connecting with decision-makers. Think job fairs, industry events, professional associations, niche communities, and engaging with company content on LinkedIn. When you pair strategy with visibility, you stop waiting for opportunities and start creating them.
Ana Colak-Fustin
Founder, HR Consultant and Recruiter, ByRecruiters
Specialize in Emerging Industry Gaps
For me, the most effective strategy I’ve seen is specializing in emerging industry gaps. Instead of competing for traditional roles, study where your industry lacks expertise. We hired several people who became experts in mobile-first indexing when other agencies were still focused on desktop optimization. Build expertise in these gap areas through practical projects, even if unpaid initially. Create case studies, write detailed articles, or develop tools that showcase your specialized knowledge. When companies need that specific expertise, you’ll face less competition and command higher value.
Matt Harrison
Vice President of Global Operations, Authority Builders
Build a Strong and Relevant Portfolio
Build a “GOOD” portfolio! Do not include things you are not 100% proud of, less is more. When hiring, we prioritize a candidate’s portfolio over their education. While education can teach work ethic and foundational skills, every company has its unique processes that no degree fully prepares you for. If I were job hunting, I’d focus on tailoring my portfolio to align with the needs of the companies I’m applying to. For example, if you’re applying for a packaging designer role at a kitchen utensils brand, showcasing graphic design or a mock-up of a cutlery set will go miles. It’s about showing you understand their world and can add value from day one.
Hugo Hronec
C.E.O., Winfo.SK s. r. o.
Redo Your Resume for Better Results
Redo your resume. Very often, candidates have amazing experience and skills, but terrible resume formatting and phrasing. It can be bewildering to a candidate because they know they’re a bullseye for the job in reality, but on paper they’re being passed up.
Read your resume in 10 seconds and see what you take from it; that’s how long recruiters are spending on screening each resume before making a decision. In that tight time window, you want to flood their brain with positive signals, and give them absolutely no negative signals to worry about.
The right things have to be bolded and italicized to guide the reader’s eye to your most impressive takeaways, and your resume can’t be cluttered or difficult to skim. That means one page maximum, black and white only, top-down/left-right (no “four quadrant” resume formats), and no summary sections—they’re a waste of space and won’t be read. Try to avoid work history gaps, and eliminate irrelevant positions if you’ve “jumped around too much”—if this creates a gap in your timeline, you can employ simple tricks like eliminating months on your resume so the years at each position flow together more seamlessly.
One trick I recommend often for my resume review clients: change your title to more closely match the role you’re applying for. There’s nothing illegal about this, and nobody will find out (or care if they do). Don’t misrepresent yourself, but a small tweak to your title can go a LONG way in getting an interview. E.g., “Senior Front End Engineer” vs “Senior Engineer” can help signal to the screener right away that you mostly do front-end work, and it’s not inaccurate to call yourself that.
We have free resume resources and templates that candidates can follow to maximize their interview rate. Millions of people have used our resume format to great success, and because most jobs don’t track prior applicants, candidates can flip to our resume format and re-apply for jobs that have already passed them up. They may be shocked by what a simple format change can do for their response rate!
Colin McIntosh
Creator, SheetsResume.com AI Resume Builder
Make Meaningful Connections and Follow Up
To stand out in a competitive job market, go beyond the ordinary by making meaningful connections and demonstrating genuine interest. Start by connecting with the hiring manager or team members on LinkedIn, introducing yourself professionally, and engaging with their content. Take it a step further by networking with current employees and setting up a coffee chat to learn more about the company culture and expectations.
Before and after interviews, follow up strategically. Send a thoughtful message before the interview to express your enthusiasm and after to thank them and highlight something specific you learned. Most importantly, research the company thoroughly and showcase how your skills align with their goals. For example, referencing a recent project or industry trend the company is involved in shows initiative and sets you apart from applicants who stick to generic answers.
Nick Esquivel
CEO, Globaltize
Show the Right Attitude Through Volunteering
Candidates can stand out in their desired field by showcasing the right attitude. For example, a strategy to show the right attitude can be through volunteering to show drive and passion for the sector, if the candidate is able to. Hiring managers often view this as evidence of the candidate’s commitment and their willingness to make small sacrifices to advance their careers.
Nicholas Hopkins
Director, VIQU IT Recruitment
