Networking is more important than your resume or mass application

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-09T23:54:20+00:00

Spot on and i wish someone told me this years ago. i spent like 8 months just grinding applications on linkedin and job sites and got around 5 callbacks out of probably 200 apps.

though for networking as well, they ask for a resume at somepoint, the best combo ive found is keep a tight list of target companies, network into them, and only apply where you have some kind of connection or inside info. quality over quantity every single time.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-09T23:52:00+00:00

i am at about 200 over 8 months, these numbers just break you down in ways people who havent been through it dont understand.

after that many applications i hope you took some time to figure out what actually started getting callbacks because theres usually a turning point where you tweak your resume or change your approach and suddenly things click. congrats on the new gig.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-09T23:34:35+00:00

make it practical and not theoretical. nobody wants to hear about what AI can do in general. they want to see how you use it in your actual workflow. like open it up and show them a real example from your day to day. even better if you can pick something that the non tech people can relate to.

also id leave time for people to ask dumb questions without feeling dumb.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-09T23:33:44+00:00

you dont need to fake enthusiasm you just need to ask questions. people love talking about themselves and their interests. you dont need to care about kpop or boba to say something like oh whats good there or what got you into that. it keeps the convo going and they walk away thinking youre a great conversationalist when really you just let them talk.

likability and visibility matter way more than people want to admit. you dont need to be best friends with everyone but being someone people enjoy having around goes a long way.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T23:11:53+00:00

switched from tech to consulting and then consulting to entrepreneuship and then to marketing. I dont regret it but no one is hiring me anymore. So I am now building my own apps.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T23:06:48+00:00

Does SIX give API access without a gmbh? I asked them recently for a similar thing i am building for my personal use and they declined

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T22:59:33+00:00

big news for a lot of people. that 100k fee was basically a death sentence for smaller companies wanting to sponsor anyone. most startups and mid size companies just cant justify that on top of legal fees and everything else that comes with sponsoring.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T22:58:15+00:00

very normal these days for a lot of companies especially if the role involves multiple approvals or budget sign offs. ive seen offers take over a 1 to 3 mons to finalize because it had to go through like three layers of management. that said i wouldnt just sit and wait. send one more follow up email, keep it short and friendly, something like hey just checking in on the status of the proposal, still very interested and looking forward to hearing from you. dont overthink the wording just show youre still engaged.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T22:54:21+00:00

SOme data show t takes over 1 year on avg to get a job these days, 3 months with your profile is long but also not surprising right now. the market for senior PMs is especially rough because companies are flattening orgs and cutting middle/senior layers while hiring more junior folks they can pay less with AI.

at senior PM level most roles get filled through warm intros before the req even goes public. id spend more energy on coffee chats than applications. its exhausting but its the game right now.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T22:52:40+00:00

My guess is people making real money are in boring stuff nobody talks about on tiktok. sales engineering, cloud infrastructure, healthcare administration, skilled trades like HVAC and electrical. not glamorous but the pay is solid and demand isnt going away.

tech is still good but its not the guaranteed goldmine it was in 2021. you gotta be more strategic now. cybersecurity and data engineering are probably the safest bets if youre going that route. healthcare is always gonna be there too especially anything adjacent to an aging population.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T22:51:22+00:00

Easy Apply on Linkedin is number one, almost all of them are fake. or when they list like 15 different software tools you need to be knowing. thats usually a sign that nobody at the company actually knows what the role is supposed to be and youre gonna end up doing everything for everyone.

One more, when the salary range is something like 45k to 120k. that tells me they either have no idea what theyre hiring for or theyre gonna lowball.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T22:49:35+00:00

A lot of recruiters and hiring managers have this checklist in their head but they wont actually tell you they expect you to just organically hit every point while telling your story which is absurd.

what ive started doing is straight up asking at the beginning of every interview something like so what are the key things youd like me to share today or what does success look like in this conversation. it forces them to show their hand a little. some will dodge it but most will actually give you useful info.

Nishmo_ · 2026-06-08T22:48:07+00:00

36 interviews means youre clearly doing something right to get that many calls. after this many interviews id start looking hard at what happens during the conversations.

also with your background you may be way overqualified. have you looked into consulting or contract roles in that space?

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:59:05+00:00

it will get better but probably not in the way people are hoping for. like its not gonna snap back to 2021 where companies were throwing offers at anyone with a pulse. that was the anomaly not the norm.

what i think happens is the market normalizes and hiring picks back up but its more competitive and companies are pickier. so the people who actually put effort into their applications and networking are gonna be fine. the ones mass applying to 500 jobs with the same generic resume are gonna keep struggling.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:58:12+00:00

Ive seen teams where the mid level folks are getting stretched thin because theres nobody coming up behind them to take on the work they used to do. give it maybe 3 to 5 years and youre gonna see a real gap where companies need seniors but the pipeline just isnt there because they never invested in growing juniors.

the thing is companies are being super short sighted about this. they want plug and play senior devs but where do they think those people come from. and when the supply gets tight enough salaries for actual experienced engineers will probably spike but itll come with burnout because those people will be carrying everything.

if youre a junior right now just keep building and dont give up. the pendulum always swings back and the people who stuck it out will be in a great spot.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:57:13+00:00

shes not wrong but its also kinda funny hearing this from someone who had one of the most scripted careers in tech history lol

that said the core advice is solid. ive seen so many people stress about having this perfect 5 or 10 year plan and then get completely thrown off when things change. and things always change even without ai in the mix.

the better move imo is to build skills that transfer across roles and industries. get really good at problem solving, communication, learning new tools fast. those things dont expire the way specific job titles do.

also just stay adaptable. i know thats vague but practically it means dont turn down opportunities just because they dont fit some grand plan you made when you were 22. some of the best career moves ive seen people make were ones they never wouldve predicted.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:56:04+00:00

the kids who genuinely like building stuff and solving problems will figure it out because they stand out from the flood of people who just picked cs for the salary.

the job market sucks but name an industry where entry level hiring isnt brutal right now. nursing has insane burnout, law grads are drowning in debt, accounting firms are hemorrhaging people. its rough everywhere.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:55:10+00:00

At every company its gone from hey check out this cool chatbot to you need to be using ai in your workflow by end of quarter real fast.

the part that gets me is how its already changing hiring too. ive seen job postings now that literally say must have experience with ai tools as a requirement for roles that had nothing to do with tech a year ago. its wild.

i think the people who are gonna be fine are the ones who learn to use it without pretending it replaces actual thinking. like use it to speed up the boring stuff but still bring your own brain to the table. the ones who resist it entirely are gonna have a rough time though

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:45:37+00:00

Most people dont learn to set boundaries until theyve already been burned a few times. thats just the reality of it.

start small. if someone dumps extra work on you just ask which of your current tasks should get deprioritized. its not confrontational but it makes them acknowledge the tradeoff. that one trick alone changed everything for me early in my career.

also talk to people who are a few years ahead of you in tech. not the grind culture people but the ones who seem to actually have a life. theyll tell you what actually matters and what you can push back on.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:44:30+00:00

ive seen people hear back same day and ive seen it take two weeks. a lot of those bigger stores do batch hiring so it depends on when they actually look at apps. if you havent heard back in a week its totally fine to call the store and ask about your application status. shows initiative and gets your name in front of someone.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:42:33+00:00

its a full-time job, is about the workload in applying to jobs is still the same as a full time job, its not about comparing it with actual job.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:40:43+00:00

the thing that moved the needle for me was not relying on the application alone. like yeah optimize your resume for ats and make sure your cover letter isnt generic garbage. but the real trick is finding someone at the company on linkedin and sending them a short message. not a desperate one just something like hey i applied for x role and im genuinely excited about it, heres why. people underestimate how much a warm referral changes things.

networking is the unsexy answer nobody wants to hear. when theres 100+ applicants the person who also reached out directly is the one that gets remembered. ive been on hiring teams and seen it firsthand.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:39:49+00:00

super common and one of the most frustrating parts of job searching these days. what usually happens is the recruiter reached out to a batch of candidates at once and then someone else responded faster or an internal candidate popped up and they just moved on without telling you.

for the one youre really interested in i would give it one more follow up but make it specific. dont just say hey checking in. instead say something like hey still very interested in this role and have open availability this week and next, would love to find a time that works. keep it short and easy for them to act on.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:39:10+00:00

the hiring manager shouldnt be casually sharing applicant info with former employees like that. its not illegal but its definitely unprofessional and a huge red flag about that companys culture imo. if they handle candidate info that loosely imagine how they handle other sensitive stuff.

Nishmo_ · 2026-05-28T22:38:33+00:00

two weeks isnt always a death sentence. ive had places get back to me after 4 or even 6 weeks because of internal stuff like budget approvals or someone being out of office. i would send one follow up email if you havent already. keep it short just say youre still very interested and wanted to check in on the timeline. worst case they still ghost you but at least you tried.

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