Job Search Strategy
How to Find a Job — The Complete Strategy for $100K–$350K Roles
Job boards are the least effective search channel for senior roles. Here is the complete strategy — networking, LinkedIn, direct outreach, and targeted applications — that actually converts.
- 1. Referral from a current employee — highest conversion
- 2. Recruiter inbound via optimized LinkedIn
- 3. Direct outreach to hiring manager or recruiter
- 4. Network contact → warm introduction
- 5. Targeted direct application (company careers page)
- 6. LinkedIn Easy Apply / job board — lowest conversion
The four-channel strategy
1. Network activation
Reach out to former managers, colleagues, and contacts at target companies. The message: who you are, what you're targeting, and a specific ask (introduction, information, referral). Most professionals underutilize this channel because it feels uncomfortable — and that discomfort is exactly why it remains the highest-converting channel.
- Former managers — highest conversion source
- Former colleagues now at target companies
- Recruiter contacts from previous searches
- Alumni network at target company levels
2. LinkedIn optimization for inbound
A fully optimized LinkedIn profile generates recruiter inbound passively — without applications or outreach. Headline with exact target keywords, About section with outcomes and targeting signal, Skills section filled to 50, Open to Work in recruiter-only mode.
3. Direct recruiter outreach
Find in-house recruiters at target companies on LinkedIn. Find agency recruiters who specialize in your function. Send targeted messages: your level, your specialization, and what you're looking for. This is proactive sourcing of yourself — a dramatically under-used channel.
4. Targeted applications
Apply within 24–48 hours of posting — response rates drop significantly after day 7. Apply on the company careers page, not through LinkedIn Easy Apply. Tailor resume keywords to each posting. Track everything in a spreadsheet.
What most job searches get wrong
- Too broad a target. Applying to every remotely relevant role is the least efficient strategy. Narrow your target role title to 2–3 specific targets. Recruiters notice when a candidate seems to be applying to everything.
- Applying with an unoptimized resume. A generic resume applied to 100 jobs converts worse than a targeted resume applied to 20. Fix the resume first.
- Skipping the follow-up. More than 60% of applications receive no follow-up from the applicant. A brief follow-up 5–7 days after application puts you in the top 10% of candidates by engagement alone.
- No LinkedIn strategy. If your profile is not optimized, you are invisible to the 70%+ of hiring that happens through recruiter sourcing — not applications.
- Waiting for a response before applying to the next. Run 5–10 active applications in parallel. The job search is a pipeline. Waiting for one at a time produces a 6-month search instead of a 6-week one.
- Not tracking anything. Without a tracking system, you lose visibility into what is converting and what is not. Track every application, every contact, every follow-up, and every response — in a simple spreadsheet is enough.
Build a job search that actually converts
Askia's job search coaching builds your target list, optimizes your positioning, and runs your search with a systematic strategy — not hope. 21 days average to first interview after coaching begins.
