If your job search plan is “apply to more roles,” you’re not behind.
You’re misaligned.
The recruiter reality
Recruiters don’t reward effort. They reward relevance.
Applying more often doesn’t increase your odds if your profile isn’t surfacing correctly in search, because the most qualified candidates usually aren’t rejected.
They’re never seen.
The real reframe
Your job search isn’t a hustle game anymore.
It’s a filtering system.
And right now, you’re either:
passing the filter, or
getting filtered out before a human ever looks.
no appearing in recruiter searches at all (You’re basically invisible to recruiters)
“More applications won’t fix mispositioning. They’ll just exaust you faster.”
Action for today (15 minutes, not 15 applications)
Stop applying for 48 hours.
Instead, write down the exact job titles you’re targeting. Then compare them to:
your resume position titles (Do they align?)
your LinkedIn headline (Does it include the title you are seeking to land and some of the major tools/certs required for the role)
your most recent role title (Needs to align with the role you are seeking to land)
the first 2–3 lines of your “About/Summary” (Does it state what position you are, the years of experience, and the industries and/or tools you’ve supported?)
Ask ONE Brutal Question
Would a recruiter searching for your target title instantly recognize you as that person?
If the answer is “kind of” or “eventually,” that’s the problem.
Nothing is “wrong” with you.
You’re just playing an outdated game with rules that quietly changed.
Small shift. Massive leverage: Stop trying to be the hardest-working applicant. Start being the easiest-to-find match.
If you only do one thing this week: align titles across resume + LinkedIn + most recent role.
If you’d like a 1-on-1 call with the Job Father to discuss your journey further, use the below link to schedule some time:
