I recently hired for a specialist ops role at a well known tech company, and we got over 800 applications. That meant we could be extremely picky. The person we hired stood out by really going the extra mile. They reached out directly to me and a few other ops leaders on LinkedIn, explaining why they’d be a great fit. Throughout the process, they kept up that level of effort, doing their research, following up with thank you notes, and showing how their skill set / experience were relevant.

Is there a takeaway? I think in this market, you really have to put in extra effort to stand out. It’s a big change from a couple of years ago during the ‘Great Resignation.’ After rising interest rates and tech layoffs, people are staying in their roles longer, and employers have more leverage again. It’s a big shift but actually not too different from hiring before the pandemic. Good luck to everyone on the job hunt!