On average, a vacancy receives between 118 and 250 responses or resumes. On average, employers want to interview only 5.4 candidates. Do you see the challenge?

My biggest recommendation to job seekers is to skip this step.

But how?

By networking.

I’m using the term networking here broadly to even include things like knocking on the door of an employer’s office.

Many of our employees were hired through networking. Our ideal candidates are the people who know our company and who really want to work for us. Those people work hard and are committed to the success of the company.

So, when someone takes the time to understand and connect with us that shows an incredible commitment. That person is putting a level of effort in the job search that few other people do. That makes them stand out.

I don’t forget that. And when possible, I often show that same dedication to them.

When a fitting job opening comes up, who do you think I call first?

There are some cases where we have actually created a new job position as a result of meeting somebody great.

Find Great Companies & Network

Don’t just send your resume out to dozens or hundreds of companies. Instead, take a more targeted approach. Search for the best companies that you would most like to work for. Don’t limit your search to big companies. Often the small companies can be a better fit.

One of the best ways to find great companies and to get hired is to start building your network. Go to local networking events. In the United States, many cities have a local chamber of commerce that holds networking events. You can also try sites like meetup.com to find events that interest you. Go to those events. Help others as much as you can. And start building authentic friendships. Through those connections you’ll start to learn about more local companies and the relationships necessary to help you get the job.

Reach Out

Don’t be afraid to contact the business owner directly. This means calling and emailing them. People who physically visit the office of the business are the most successful at getting the job. I regularly meet with people who reach out to me. Firstly, I sincerely want to help in whatever way I can. But selfishly, I want to meet fantastic people. The people who are brave and hard-working enough to reach out to a business owner are likely great people. We need great people to run a great business, so I love to connect. I can’t always help. But I won’t forget the best people.

Bonus Tip

Different countries have different unemployment rates. And some jobs are in higher demand than others. If you focus on a country with low unemployment and a job that is in high demand, then you will have a much easier time finding a job. For example, I have a friend who is a computer scientist in Los Angles, California. Computer scientists in Los Angles are in very high demand right now. So, companies are calling my friend to ask him to work for them. That’s a very nice way to get hired. And as a result, he also makes a lot of money.

On the other hand, I have met some incredible people from countries like South Africa. The unemployment rate in South Africa is about 25%. That’s higher than the unemployment rate of the United States during the great depression. This means that many incredible people are not employed in South Africa. It’s not because they are bad candidates. It’s simply because there aren’t enough jobs. So, if you are in a country with a high unemployment rate consider a country with a low unemployment rate.

Final Recommendation

I recommend reading the book, What Color is Your Parachute. It’s a book that helped me a lot on my job search. It digs deeper into the best ways to find a great job. One of my favorite points in the book is the method that most job seekers use – submitting resumes to job postings – is actually the least successful. It works just 4% of the time. Knocking on the door of an employer works 47% of the time.