Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had some really insightful conversations with people trying to break into the IT job market. Many are hardworking, qualified, and motivated. But there’s one thing I keep hearing:
“I’ve been applying for roles on Seek, LinkedIn, and Indeed – but I’m not hearing anything back.”
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong per se, but here’s the truth:
That strategy alone doesn’t work anymore.
We’re in one of the most competitive job markets in recent memory. You’re not just up against 20 or 30 other candidates. You’re potentially one of over 100 applicants for the same role.
And when everyone is doing the exact same thing like polishing up their CV, uploading it to job boards, clicking “Apply”, you have to ask yourself: What am I doing to stand out?
If your current approach isn’t working, then relying on it alone isn’t going to move the needle. The key? Having multiple strategies in play at once. Job searching needs to be active, not passive.
Here are three practical (and powerful) strategies to help you take control of your job search and get noticed:
1. Direct Outreach: Be Proactive, Not Passive
Don’t wait for someone to discover you in a sea of applications. Go directly to the source. Find the hiring manager or recruiter on LinkedIn. Send a short, personalised message that highlights:
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Who you are
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What you bring to the table
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Why you’re genuinely interested in the role or company
It doesn’t have to be long or flashy—just authentic and relevant. Many roles are filled before they’re even advertised. This approach gives you a shot at being considered before the crowd even sees the ad.
2. Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn
Your LinkedIn profile is more than a digital resume—it’s your personal brand.
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Make sure your profile is up to date and clearly communicates your strengths.
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Share your journey: Talk about what you’re learning, what projects you’re working on, or what excites you about your career path.
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Don’t be afraid to post small wins. Consistency builds familiarity—and familiarity builds trust.
The more people see your name associated with valuable or insightful content, the more you stay top of mind when opportunities come up.
3. Network with Purpose
It’s easy to hide behind a screen and keep clicking “apply.” But the real magic often happens in conversations.
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Join local or online meetups
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Attend webinars and tech talks
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Get involved in communities where your target employers hang out
So many opportunities aren’t advertised—they’re shared, recommended, or quietly passed around. Showing up in the right places opens you up to those behind-the-scenes chances.
A Word of Tough Love:
If you know—deep down—that your skills aren’t quite aligned with the roles you’re applying for, or that you’re lacking local experience, don’t just keep applying and hoping for a different result.
Be honest with yourself. And then take action.
Upskill. Join a programme. Get project experience.
It’s not a step back—it’s a step toward your goal.
Because that small, brave decision to invest in yourself might just be the one that unlocks the door you’ve been knocking on for months.
Grab our Information Pack here: www.industryconnect.org/apply
Saad secures Senior Test Analyst role after only 6 weeks!
What is Industry Connect?
We have been helping career changers, recent IT graduates and people with career gap to start their IT/software careers.
Over the years, we have helped hundreds kick-start an IT/software career. (Verifiable evidences are available on this website)
OUR CORE
We are an innovative software training school backed by global/local software companies. Our ecosystem is an incubation process that supports our participants until they launch a tech career.
OUR PROGRAMMES
Our Job-Ready training programmes focus on,
- Software Development
- Business Intelligence (or Data Analyst)
- Test Analyst
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
- Six Weeks Training Classes (Practical Tech Skills)
- Three Months (or more) Structured Internship on Large Commercial-Scale Projects (Learning enhanced, flexible Hours)
- Employer Network (job analysis and internal referral if goals are met)
You can join us via Zoom (live face-to-face meeting) remotely from anywhere and "download" the valuable knowledge & experiences from our tech experts across different tech centres.
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