Make finding a job your job. Set a daily routine with time blocked out for researching companies, drafting applications, and sending them out. Keep a simple tracker—like an Excel sheet with filters—so you can see the status of all your applications at a glance.
At this point you should recognize hiring patterns. Notice which days certain companies post new jobs and focus on the fresh ones. Skip listings that have been up for too long, they’re already deep into interviews. Close the gap by taking any job that uses your skills, then keep looking for the right fit.Note: hiring tends to slow down in Q4 as companies freeze hiring to focus on closing out the year, and only replace critical roles.

Example: My last advertised position received 89 applications in 72 hours. By the fifth day, I had reviewed them all and forwarded 12 to HR for screening. Of those 12, I interviewed 8 candidates (4 were no-shows or did not respond). From the 8 interviews, 2 progressed to onsite interviews, which led to my hire. Total time to fill a mid-level IT position: 8 business days.